The Lost Ingots of Tagus
by Aldesina
Summary: Will and Elizabeth are captured on their wedding day by a crew of masked pirates and used as bait to lure Commodore Norrington and Captain Jack Sparrow out to sea, but to what purpose, and why does one masked pirates seem to have a thing for Norrington?
1. The long awaited wedding is stalled

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

Chapter 1: The long awaited wedding is stalled

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IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!!! 

Since I began writing this BEFORE movies 2 and 3 came out, I will continue writing it in the same manner. If I were to take into account the last two movies I would not have a story. And besides in my humble opinion the ending was perfect! So writing within cannon terms would be moot. Hello Alternate Universe!

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Disclaimer...As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

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It was a beautiful summer day; perfect to be exact. The wind blew in soft breezes from the direction of the sea causing the salty sea air to tickle the bride's nose. She laughed as she raised her head into the air, smelling the fresh scent of seawater, she always loved that smell.

"My lady!" Elizabeth turned her head toward the intruding voice.

"My lady you really must come off the balcony, what if your groom should happen to pass by underneath." The maid said as she hustled Elizabeth off the balcony.

"You know that it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."

"I don't care." Elizabeth declared "Today is the happiest day of my life, and I'm not about to let some silly superstition ruin it."

Elizabeth giggled as she twirled around in her wedding gown. It was inspired from the Elizabethan era, with a low square cut bodice starting at her bosom and ending with a V at her hips. It was fitted but not restrained by a corset. There was a full skirt that was tucked underneath that bodice and it flared out and hung below her ankles, and then pulled out to a mermaid's tail in the back. It was pleated in the back making it look like a true mermaid's tail. The front of the skirt was simple and flat, it didn't look like a full skirt till one looked at the hidden pleats and folds that were hidden underneath the slits on both sides of her dress. Elizabeth had insisted that her dress allowed her to move. None of that silly British fashion. The sleeves on the dress bared her shoulders and were sheer and fitted leaving only a tuft of gossamer fabric covering the tops of her hands.

"Now, stop twirling around like that miss," The maid chastened, "Or else you might miss the ceremony and poor Will Turner will be disappointed."

That stopped Elizabeth from laughing.

"I'm not late am I?" She asked frowning.

"No my lady, but if you don't let me do your hair right away you will be"

"But I don't want my hair up; Will has always liked my hair down."

"Then we won't put it fully up, only a little bit, for propriety's sake, you don't want to seem like a strumpet." Elizabeth pouted her lips and plopped down on the stool that faced a large vanity mirror.

"Will would never have called me a strumpet; he's too much of a gentleman to do so"

"Yes my lady" The maid merely smiled behind her as she set about doing Elizabeth's hair.

* * *

"Captain" A gentle voice called out 

"Captain…" A snort is heard in the dark

"Only a few more minutes Milady my love,"

"CAPTAIN!"

"Wha?" A very confused looking man sat up from his bed, a beard has been growing on his face, but it doesn't mar his handsome features. He has a strong chin, complimented by a long, lean, and sculpted face. He is fit and handsome; the open shirt that he is wearing showed off a finely toned chest and abs. He is tanned from the many months out at sea and about 40 to 45 years old, one can't tell. The man's full head of raven black hair is free of gray and his skin is still glowing. The only part of him that seemed old were his eyes; a sparkling ocean blue that looked like the waters of the Caribbean. They had shadows in them that men of his age usually did not see. He stands up sort of disoriented and glances over at his cabin's intruder as he stretches to a towering height of six foot, three.

"Bloody hell Diablo! How the hell does one such as yourself inflict the pain of a hangover on a man who hasn't had a drop to drink?"

The young woman who woke him let her cherry lips stretch into a full smirk.

"Talent."

"Demon's spawn." The man cursed. "What did you wake me up for anyway?" He walked over to a basin of water that was by his bed and proceeded to clean his face up.

"We're ahead of schedule" That made him look up

"Are we now?"

"Yes sir, Port Royal will soon be in plain sight."

"Is that right?" The handsome man smiled showing a row of perfectly white teeth.

"Indeed." The girl next to him grinned as she walked over to hand him a shaving kit and flashed her own set of pearly whites.

"And that's not all, The Honorable Governor's daughter is getting married today, and we've been invited."

"Have we now?" The man had finished washing and shaving his face and was currently changing into a fresh shirt and putting on his vest and jacket. When he straightened up he looked like a perfect rogue. Dark blue tailored pants matched his thigh length jacket. Inside was a crisp white shirt covered by a tan colored vest. On top of his head sat a tri pointed hat. On his feet were black leather boots that rode above the knee, polished to a high shine.

"Well, we have been….. unofficially invited that is." The girl smiled again.

"Then we really shouldn't disappoint Miss…."

"Swann"

"Yes, Miss Swann, on her very _special_ day."

* * *

The ceremony was to be held in the courtyard where they held all their ceremonies. Elizabeth had wanted to have it in the little courtyard all the way in the back of her father's mansion, but the Governor protested that not all the guests would fit. He also secretly thought that all of the groom's _guests_ might attempt to rob him blind if they held the ceremony anywhere near his house. Will Turner, his new son in law to be had insisted on inviting Jack Sparrow and his crew, seeing as how they had helped save Elizabeth and all. Governor Swann had readily agreed at first thinking that it would be a great opportunity to capture _The Black Pearl_ and all its occupants. However Jack wrote to Will and said that the only way that he and the crew were going to attend the wedding was if the Governor gave them a temporary full pardon for the weekend of the wedding, and allowed them to keep all of their assets and whatever they brought from the ship, aside from the wedding presents that is, those were for Elizabeth and Will. 

Damn that Jack Sparrow, Will might be rash about negotiations, but Jack certainly never forgot to negotiate whatever might be most favorable to him. He finally relented after his daughter pleaded with him that it was her wedding, and she wanted _all_ of her friends to be attending guests without having to worry over them being arrested.

Needless to say Commodore Norrington was also most disappointed; he was still after Jack Sparrow after all. He was no longer upset that Elizabeth was simply not attracted to him, he might have been a bit miffed at losing a bride, but in the end their age difference simply would have made the marriage close to impossible. He was a good twelve years older then her, and young Will Turner was exactly her age. Norrington had his admirers, and a throng of women to choose from when Elizabeth turned him down, although none of them could catch his eye, or make his heart skip a beat quite the way Elizabeth could. However, she loved another and well, try as he might there wasn't anything he could do about it. He was happy that he was invited to the ceremony and was pleasantly surprised when Will Turner approached him one night and asked if he would teach him the knowledge and etiquette that was expected of a nobleman.

"For Elizabeth," Will beseeched.

"There is no one else more finely educated in this matter I believe" The young man looked so desperate to please that Norrington finally relented.

"For Elizabeth"

That was four years ago, now at the age of 23, William Turner was actually quite intelligent, well he was book smart and weapons smart and ship smart anyway. But when it came to common sense, Norrington shook his head. Wild boars couldn't gorge it into him. Turner was hopelessly stupid in that area.

Norrington straightened his hat once again as a knock was heard on his door.

"Commodore?" It was Turner

"Mr. Turner, I expect that you are fully prepared for this ceremony?" Norrington turned around to see Will accompanied by Jack, who had cleaned up a bit and had his hair pulled back entirely. He actually passed for a normal human being, instead of a riffraff pirate. Will Turner however was dressed impeccably. Black breeches, crisp white shirt with a collar, and a well tied cravat, gray vest and black tailored coat. His boots just reached his knees and were polished to shine like mirrors. His hair was also pulled back by a ribbon, and a black feathered velvet hat was held in one hand. A black package held in another. Will Turner had made quite a name for himself after he helped Jack escape. He became head blacksmith, since the apprentice's skill far outshone his master's. And his sword making skill was unbeatable in the entire thirteen colonies. He became the chief blade supplier to Norrington's troops, fitting them all with swords of folded steel. As his reputation grew, many lords and nobles of high rank began to seek him out, commissioning him for swords and daggers, and knives, and various other weapons of all sorts. He was now a master swordsmith with apprentices of his own. He owned a large workshop with a forge large enough for ten to work at. It was equipped with the finest blacksmith tools crafted by him, or course, and a storefront in the marketplace where he traded his business and took orders. In addition to this he had a modestly large sized house upon a hill that overlooked the ocean. Elizabeth had helped him design it and they seemed to have built the perfect little love nest for two newlyweds. When the house had been finished, Will had popped the question and of course Elizabeth had agreed. After a seven month engagement, they were set to be married today.

"Well, I see that you brought the infamous Jack Sparrow with you, luckily for him Elizabeth spoke in his favor and he and his crew has a temporary full pardon for the weekend."

"Capt Jack Sparrow, Commodore, It's Capt Jack Sparrow. And besides I'm the best man of this wedding, it wouldn't look good if I was arrested now would it? It would ruin the whole wedding, we'd have to call it off and do it all over again." Will just looked at him and shook his head.

"Commodore, I have a gift for you."

"For me, I would imagine that I would be giving a present to you since it is _your_ wedding day."

"It is a thank you gift" Will pressed, "For helping me in those first few months back. I've learned many things that I would never have known had you not agreed to tutor me" Norrington cringed, he hated the word tutor.

"That isn't necessary..."

"But it is" Will bowed and handed the black package to Norrington.

"If you don't' want it, can I have it?" Jack asked "I really think that young Will should keep it for himself, but if he must give it away, and you don't want it, shouldn't I be next in line being the best man and all?"

Norrington took the box in his hand weighing it in his hands, then opening it up to find two shining twin daggers.

"In fact shouldn't I have been first in line being best man and all?"

"For your boots, I've been developing them in my workshop for the past month, they are the same folded steel as my swords, but lighter, and made so that they go on the insides of military boots seamlessly, the enemy will never see them, and they are undetectable. They are at a perfect length for someone your height Commodore; they will not hinder your walking, or movement of any sort. Each blade has been custom made according to a person's height."

"They are quite……..well, they are very well made, and very stealthily designed." Norrington lifted one of them, then another, testing their weight out in his hand. "Which makes me very happy that you're not a pirate, it'd be perfect for them" he said looking pointedly at Jack

"Which makes me wonder why he gifted it to you instead of me" Jack said looking at Will who was still beaming with pride.

"When am _I_ going to get one of those?"

"Err…."

"Sigh, never mind, figures you'd deliver a perfect pirate's weapon into the hands of a pirate catcher"

"But you're an honest pirate, so there's no need for you to commit such trickery"

"But it's ok for the Commodore to be underhanded and tricky"

"I've never seen the Commodore act that way to date have you?" Will blinked.

"He tried to hang me! That's not underhanded enough?" Jack yelled at him.

"That was done publicly, how exactly is that underhanded."

"Gentlemen, don't we have a wedding to go to?" Norrington asked exasperated.

"Yeees, indeed we do Commodore, in fact if we don't get this procession rolling, Mr. Turner here just might burst." Jack sauntered over to Commodore placing an arm on his shoulder, "Since I found out he ain't a eunuch, he must have been in blue ball hell….eooo!" Ow!" Jack yelped as he was yanked forcefully back by the ear.

"You off telling those damn stories again are ya?"

"Now Anamaria, its true, our young blue ball virgin…" _Smack!_

Jack's head snapped around from the impact and he turned back to face Anamaria.

"I don't think I deserved that." He said.

"I do," said Will putting on his hat, "Now if you will kindly behave yourself I have my wedding to go to."

"Yea, yea, we're coming. _Savvy_?"

Commodore Norrington merely shook his head. He took one more glance at the daggers in the box, and picked them up. Undetectable he said? He slipped one down his left boot and then his right. Then he moved around, walking in a circle. No reaction. He lifted one leg up then another, than squatted down before jumping quickly up.

"Lost your marbles there Commodore?" Norrington looked up to see Jack lounging in the doorway.

"Those be a nice pair of daggers, aren't they?" Jack said drunkenly making his way over, "I wonder….. hmmm, how I might be able to obtain myself one of those?" Jack placed his forefinger on his chin, "Maybe like this." Quick as a blink, Jack held one of Will's daggers in his hands and was then slipping it down his own boot.

"Wha?" Norrington started, than regained his composure.

"Capt Jack Sparrow, I don't think it would be wise to add stealing to your already long list of crimes."

"Yes but it's the one crime that made you remember to call me Captain." He cocked his head to the side. "Maybe I should do it more often." And with that he waltzed out.

Commodore Norrington shook his head and checked both his boots. The one in his right boot was still there. I'll get the other one back after the wedding he thought as he strode out the door. He wondered if he could detain them till after their temporary pardon.

* * *

"Captain, Port Royal is only a few miles away; it can be sighted through the telescope now." 

"Are we in their eye's view?"

"No sir, unless they have telescopes pointing out way, and I highly doubt that to be the case, due to the wedding."

"Good, weigh anchor and we'll go in the rowboats to shore." The roguish captain of the ship turned and prepared to make his way to the small boats latched on the side of his ship; _The Dragoness_. "Men, ten per boat, we'll row around to the back side of the port and sneak up on them from there, make sure to grab a good deal of those wedding gifts, they're coming from all over the place. Wouldn't want a governor's daughter to get married empty handed now would they. The crew laughed, there were 45 of them, 45 of the best men that he'd ever seen, all hand picked by him and Diablo.

"Captain, there seems to be a new development."

"And what might that be Diablo?"

"The Black Pearl"

"Barbossa" The Captain sneered.

"No" Diablo said softly, her lips curved into a small smile. The captain snapped his head toward the tall girl standing at the stem with a long telescope in her hands

"Not Barbossa," She lowered her telescope and turned to look at her captain. "Jack"

"Jack?" The captain faintly muttered, "Then he's done it, he lifted the curse that Barbossa put on us."

"Captain, do you still want to disembark?" Diablo folded her telescope and placed it neatly into a pocket of one of her wide pant legs. "He seems to know the bride; a friend of hers even,"

"Well then that should just make things even more interesting, now shouldn't it?" The Captain turned his head to smile at her and the crew.

"To the boats!"

"Aye!" The crew called back.

Will adjusted his cravat a bit nervously. The music had just started to play and Elizabeth was due to walk down the aisle any minute now. He looked down for a second and straightened his cuff link when a flash a metal glinting at the corner of his eye caused him to look up sharply. He gasped

What filled his vision was the image of Elizabeth in her wedding finery. It was beautiful beyond words.

"Elizabeth…" he whispered. As if Elizabeth had heard him, she looked up to see him and smiled happily,

"Will…"

He never looked finer in her eyes. A wonderful black ensemble with a matching black sheathed blade by his side made him look like a prince in her eyes.

Elizabeth and her father made their way up the red carpet to face Will. The Governor stopped just short of presenting Elizabeth to Will, and he almost face faulted at the act. Governor Swann simply stepped up to Will and shook his hand,

"I think you've become a fine young man," he said softly, "And I am proud to call you my son in law" Will blinked at him,

"Tha, thank you sir." Will stuttered. "And I am honored to call you my father in law."

"Governor Swann stepped back to Elizabeth, and took one of her hands in his right, and took one of Will's hands in his left.

"With my every blessing," He told the couple as he joined the two hands.

"Hello there Miss Swann, my, my, my, that's a fine wedding dress!"

The whole wedding procession turned their heads up. What they saw was a ring of men around the courtyard wielding swords and pistols all pointing their way. They were lead by a handsome black haired man with a tri point hat dressed in blue. And someone let out a scream

"AHH! Pirates! Run! Run! Pirates!"

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Author's Note; 

Sooooo, what do you think of it so far? Please read and review! Thank you!

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	2. They've taken Elizabeth Again

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

 Chapter 2: They've taken Elizabeth. Again

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Disclaimer.....As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

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            "Oh my God" Elizabeth breathed out. Her eyes widened as she looked up. The courtyard that had seemed to be the perfect place to hold the wedding was now the perfect death trap. It was surrounded by all sides by walls and now hanging all over the walls were pirates. They were all armed to the teeth, and the expressions on their faces were not friendly. Wait a minute, those weren't their faces; they were masks! Why would pirates be wearing masks?  She turned her head to the voice that had addressed her. He seemed to be their captain; he was well dressed and flanked on both sides by two men, He was also in a mask, although unlike his men his mask was pure gold, the others were all blue and gold. Elizabeth cocked her head to one side, that's funny, she thought; one of them seemed to be a lot skinner then the other three. 

            "Elizabeth get behind me," Will shouted as he drew his sword and stepped in front of his bride.

            "Oh I don't think that will do you much good laddie, considering the fact that we've got you surrounded on all sides." The man in the blue suit laughed. "Oh she's quite a pretty one; that she is. And a governor's daughter, well, well, she'll fetch a pretty price on the black market." The rest of the men laughed.

            "I would die before I let you take her!" Will shouted and began to fight, stabbing at the man nearest him.

            "Soldiers defend Miss Elizabeth." Commodore Norrington shouted, drawing his own sword and pistol. Not fucking bloody hell again, he thought. 

            "Diablo," The man in the suit purred out, "Grab the darling Miss Elizabeth for me now will you?" 

            "With pleasure Captain"

            Will turned his head to look from one man surrounding the wedding party to another, they were all masked in blue and gold, their faces completely covered except for their eyes. He shuddered, something about these men made his sweat run cold.

            "If you be honorable pirates you wouldn't cower behind masks" Will shouted; "Show yourselves."

            "Ahh… now why would we ever want to do that?" The person they saw addressed to as Diablo asked. "It would take all the fun out of our sport."

            With that Diablo jumped from the railing and shot the first officer in front of his path killing the man instantly.

            "Men, shoot and fire!" Commodore Norrington yelled. 

            "Gents! Let's party!" The blue suited man said, and with a whoop and a holler his men began to descend down the railings and rooftops that they were perched on, shooting and stabbing whatever they could grab on the way.

            "Men, aim at whatever riffraff moves and kill him!" Norrington shouted. 

            "Erm, what about my riffraff?" Jack interjected.

            "Fool, why aren't you trying to protect your friends?" Norrington sneered.

            Jack turned his head toward the betrothed couple who currently each had a sword in hand and were battling off the majority of the pirates. 

            "Hmm, they do seem to need a bit of help don't they?" Jack tipped his head at Norrington and ducked as a sword sliced in between them. Norrington grabbed the offender, but was pulled back by two other pirates.

            "Make sure they don't get Elizabeth!" Norrington yelled after Jack.

            "I seem to be having a bit of trouble" Jack said bumping into Norrington, while unsheathing his own blade and started to fence with two pirates that came his way. 

            "They won't let me pass." 

            "That's the point." Jack and Norrington looked up to see a masked man swinging toward them with a huge pole in his hands. 

            That was the last thing that the two of them saw before they both blacked out.

"And that takes care of that" the one named Diablo sneaked his way across the battleground. Ducking behind blades, stabbing a solider to his right and snapping the neck of one in front of him. He was moving fast, weaving in and out at an unbelievable speed and grace, he looked like a masked panther sneaking toward his prey, killing, disarming, and just plain stabbing everyone along the way that was not part of the crew he came with. All that mattered was that he reached his one goal; the happy bride and groom. They were just ahead and fighting rather well for such a young couple. The man had two swords in his hands parrying and thrusting, though not hitting any of his men. They moved too fast for that. Still, he was young, and good, perhaps we could turn him. He just about made it when the young groom turned his head toward Diablo. 

            "What the?"  

            "Die, coward!" 

            Diablo barely had time to move his lithe body before the groom's sword stabbed at him.

            "Shit" He was the spitting image of the captain, except younger, and were his eyes _brown? _

            "Thief!" He cried and charged Diablo again. He parried the young man's blade this time, reposting with his own and drawing out a small dagger to swipe at the groom's face. He hit, and left a slash of blood on a stunned face. _The spitting image._

            "Marlow, Rubens, take him aboard with the girl!"

            Three men jumped him, dragging a bag over his head and knocking him out with the blunt end of a pistol.

            "Will!!!!" The bride screamed. Diablo turned to face her as she charged toward him blade pointing straight for his heart. He easily sidestepped it, knocking it out of her hands with his dagger, and knocking her out with the blunt end of his sword. 

            "Take her," Diablo called to one of the men. He turned around to see that most of her men, had beaten back the soldiers, and were currently filling bags with loot and heading back for the ship. There was one solider that caught Diablo's eye. He was holding his own very nicely. In fact wasn't that the pain in the ass commodore that he knocked out? Well, well, well, let's assess the situation, Diablo thought as he made his way toward the commodore. He was around the same age as Diablo, and fenced very well, holding his own against three of the best men from the crew. He was fighting back to back with Captain Jack Sparrow, looks like he's woken up too, who didn't seem to have recognized her Captain yet, ahh well, when he unveils his face, and he usually does Jack will be in for the surprise of his life. Hmmm, he thought, meanwhile, I want to play.

            Commodore Norrington cursed his luck as he came back to consciousness and continued to fight off the pirates that were constantly assailing him from all directions. He kicked Jack awake and soon Jack was at his back and the two of them actually seemed to have put aside their differences for the time being. 

            "Will!!!!" Commodore Norrington  turned over to where he last saw the bridal couple and saw that they were both knocked out and being carried toward the pirate's ship. 

            "Elizabeth!" He shouted! Jack snapped his head toward Norrington, then back over to where the bridal couple was at.

            "Will!" 

            "Mr. Turner can take care of himself, its Miss Elizabeth that I'm worried about."

            "Oh yeah, if he could take care of himself then why is he knocked out and slung over the shoulder of some masquerade runaway?" 

            "Masquerade runaways are we?" Smack. Jack head was thrown back as Diablo's fist collided with his jaw. 

            "Bloody hell, I don't think I deserved that!" Jack barely had time to compose himself before Diablo fell upon him, slashing with her dagger and jump kicking Jack in the stomach. Damn it, he thought, it's that bloody git that knocked me out.

            "No wonder they bloody call you Diablo, Shit you mother…"

            "Duck!" Norrington yelled as he grabbed Jack just in time to avoid a bullet from Diablo's pistol. 

            "Where the fuck did that come from, I thought the bastard had his hands full of swords?"

            "Never mind that, just try and kill him" Norrington said hauling Jack back up.

            "Jack!" Jack looked over and saw Anamaria toss him his pistol, he cocked it and shot it in the direction of Diablo, shot and……….. _missed?_  

"Where the bloody….. Ooof!"  
            He felt the wind being pushed next to him again as Diablo tried to drop kick him in the shoulder. He swayed slightly only to see Norrington launch an attack on Diablo forcing him back.

            "You saved my life" Jack said looking quizzically at Norrington while ducking another swinging sword and knocking its owner out.

            "You'll owe me." Norrington panted.

            "Not if you die before you can collect" Diablo slashed at Norrington. He ducked missing the dagger. This person fought strangely he thought, never keeping the offensive, or defensive, always attacking, and then falling back in an uncontrollable rhythm. The weapons were also odd. They weren't the standard sized or shaped sword and dagger. These were both flat with the shield on the handles curving up in two fang like shapes so it looked like there were three handles as opposed to one. The person before him known as Diablo twirled the two weapons around in his hands flexing in between the handles, it looked like he didn't have a firm grip on the blade, until it came crashing toward you. 

            "Coward, show your face when you fight" Norrington said.

            "Hmm but I'd much rather stare at yours, _Commodore_." Norrington blinked. Did he just hit on me?

            "Back to the ship!" 

            Norrington raised his head in time to see one of the pirates waving a red flag at his comrades. The captain was next to him and it looked like he did a good deal of fighting himself. His hat was screwed, tilting to the side, and he was fending off two soldiers, no make that one soldier, he shot the other one with his pistol.

            "Stop them!" Jack shouted, and pointed his pistol at the Captain.

            "Why Jack, I thought you were my friend?" The blue suited captain smirked as he removed his hat.

            "At least that's what I thought until you and Barbossa shot me out of that cannon"

            "Bootstrap?"

            "Good night, Capt Jack Sparrow" and for the second time today Jack was knocked unconscious by Diablo.

            "Don't move!" Norrington had pinned his sword to Diablo's back

            "Stand up nice and slow or I'll…Ooof!" And for the second time today the commodore was knocked out by a pirate.

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            "Well men! That went exceedingly well don't you think?" BootStrap Bill took off his mask and adjusted his feathered tri pointed hat. 

            The crew laughed in agreement

            "Let me out of here! I invoke the right of parlay, I demand that you take me to your captain immediately!"

            "What is that blasted racket about parlay?"

            "It's the prisoners Capt!" Marlow shouted. 

            "We both invoke the right of parlay," Came a male voice "The pirate's code says that…"

            "I know that the code says, boy" Rubens said as he kicked one of the hooded figures.

            "Stop that." Diablo said, "There will be none of that." Diablo took off the mask and removed a sturdy board like object from around the chest. It revealed a young woman around the age of twenty seven. She is Asian and tall standing at five foot nine inches. Her hair was then released from underneath her bandana and waves of ebony black hair that shone blue tumbled down just past her neck. She wore a simple boat neck fitted white shirt that emphasized her breasts now that the breast plate she wore to flatten her breasts were removed. Over that was a corset of deep blue that ran from the top of her breasts to her waist. Underneath that was a pair of wide black pants that bellowed out ending at a pair of knee high slim boots. Over this she wore a vest like, thigh length tunic. Underneath the tunic strapped to her back were two twin Chinese daggers. On her wrists were strapped four throwing knives, and around her waist was a belted flexible sword. It looked like a silver belt until it sprung out of its current position.

            "There will be no maltreatment of the Captain's son." She said. 

            "WHAT?" The crew stared blankly at her.

            "Diablo darling have you gone mad?" Bootstrap Bill asked looking over at the young woman. 

            "He certainly has, my father died at sea more then ten years ago." Came Will's voice from inside one of the bags.

            "Do you have proof?" Diablo asked.

            "Barbossa told me."

            "Oh" Diablo scoffed, "So if Barbossa tells you something you automatically believe it, but when another pirate tells you. And mind you _she_ is trying to save your life. When _she_ tells you, you automatically figure she's lying." Diablo snorted in disgust. That's men for you she thought

            "At least I could see his face."

            "Bring them forward," Bootstrap said. "I'd like to see who Diablo as called my son."

            Marlow and three other pirates each hooked an arm underneath the two bagged youths and brought them forward

            "Take off the bags covering their heads." 

            Will looked up, his eyes adjusting slowly to the light, into the face of his captor, and promptly dropped his jaw in shock. Bootstrap Bill who was looking down at his captive was equally stunned to silence. The man before him looked exactly like he did thirty or so years ago, and he had Milady's eyes.

            "Dad?"

            "William….."

            "Dad?!" Elizabeth asked next to him. "I thought Barbossa said he was dead."

            "By the Gods didn't I just finish making a speech about how you should not listen to Barbossa?" Diablo just rolled her eyes. 

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Author's Note

Whoa, that chapter didn't progress as much as I thought it would, but that' ok, I'm gonna update again I think sometime this weekend. Hope you enjoyed the story so far. Please Read and review, many many thanks to those who already have, and many many thanks to those that will in the future, until next time, Chao!

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	3. Revelations and Shared Pasts

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

Chapter 3: Revelations and Shared Pasts

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Disclaimer...As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

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"Untie them" Bootstrap Bill's voice ran out. "Untie them!" The two men that unmasked Will and Elizabeth pulled out blades and cut the ropes from the two youth's hands.

The second Will's hands were untied he turned around and grabbed the nearest pirate's sword in one hand and shoved Elizabeth behind him with the other.

"Get Back!" He shouted pointing the sword at Bootstrap.

"Now, now, easy there boy, easy!" Bootstrap removed a handkerchief from the inside of his jacket and wiped his forehead with it. He raised an arm toward Will.

"Now don't be hasty with that thing, I know you're quite skilled at it though God knows I abhorred the very idea of you learning weaponry…."

"Shut up." Will was shaking as he slowly back away from Bootstrap Bill with Elizabeth behind him. The crew parted for the two youths looking from them to their captain, confusion written plainly on their faces. They were getting away yes, but then again if the young man really was the captain's son no one wanted to deal the with the consequences that would come with killing him. Only Diablo stood to the side with a calm expression on her face. Only she had been with Bootstrap Bill since the beginning. She knew what was going on, and could plainly understand the crew's bewilderment, but it wasn't her place to explain. All she could do now was make sure the two backing slowly away from her Captain weren't harmed in the instance of chaos. God I hope he doesn't do anything stupid.

"Elizabeth, get into the lifeboat, lower it and get rowing"

Too late.

"Now hold on son, there's no need for that…"Bootstrap started to walk over to Will, the hand holding the handkerchief extended.

"Shut up!" Will said, his sword still pointed at Bootstrap Bill "You are not my father, my father died at sea, Barbossa tied his feet to a cannon ball and shot him into the ocean. Barbossa killed him."

Elizabeth started to make her way toward the lifeboat but Diablo made it there first and laid a hand on the boat's rim stopping her.

"Hear the Captain out" She said to Elizabeth.

"And why should I listen to a pirate whore like you?" Elizabeth spat.

"Because if this _pirate's whore_ hadn't recognized your fiancée, you would have been raped, your beloved tortured, and then both of you would have been promptly killed."

"You couldn't have done that; the pirate's code says that you can't harm the prisoners."

"Correction, Miss Swann, the pirate's code says you can't harm _wares_ and we weren't going to take you on as a _ware_." Diablo looked at the young girl, she is probably only few years younger then me Diablo thought, she sighed. I might as well make peace with the girl since her husband to be is the captain's son.

"Don't look so horrified, nothing is going to happen to you or Will, just stay on this ship"

"How could you let them do that? How could you let these men take, and kidnap helpless women?" Elizabeth sneered at her. "_You're a woman_, don't you have any compassion?"

"It's called self preservation, _Miss Swann_, because contrary to popular belief, I am _nobody's_ whore." Elizabeth seemed slightly shocked at Diablo's statement. She couldn't have been more then two years older then her. What was a girl her age doing on a pirate's ship if she wasn't a whore? She was a good fighter, but all the men aboard this ship were as well. They didn't need to take on a woman aboard. And she didn't exactly have the air of a pirate about her either. She was odd, and Elizabeth couldn't exactly place it, whatever it was. Her features vaguely resembled the men and women from the far east that were sometimes captured by pirates and sold at the stalls. Or sometimes they came out of their own free will to sell spices and fragrances. Elizabeth turned as she saw Will backing toward her.

Diablo looked up as Will reached the boat where she was trying to prevent Elizabeth from climbing into. Her captain was right in front of him, waving a white handkerchief and holding both hands out in a sign of surrender, it would do him no good to lose his son again.

"Ahh well you know about Barbossa, then you should know about the curse, you know the one were I can't die"

"But if you couldn't die why'd they go after me, why'd they go after Elizabeth?"

"Err……" Bootstrap scratched his head in confusion, "To tell you the truth son I don't know why they would go after that pretty lass although it's kinda…."

"Shut up, don't call me son, I'm not your son."

"Yes you are!" Bootstrap shook his head in desperation, "Damn it William, when I heard the ship you sailed on was destroyed by pirates I though I'd never see you again." Bootstrap Bill waved the hand with the handkerchief in it to and fro in front of Will's face. Will just about had enough of that when he noticed something odd about that scrap of cloth.

"Jesus, what the hell will it…."

"Where did you get your handkerchief?"

"Wha?" Bootstrap stopped mid tirade.

"Where did you get it?" Bootstrap's eyes softened,

"The same place I get all my handkerchiefs son, your mother makes them for me."

"How am I so sure you didn't just steal it from my dead father's corpse."

"By the Gods he really is dense, Capt he's got your good looks and most unfortunately he's also got the brains of a plank of wood."

Everyone turned to look at Diablo who was now leaning against the railing with a bored look on her face.

"William Einan Turner Jr and William Einan Bootstrap fucking Bill Turner" Both Turner men cringed at the usage of their full names, "You will both cease this stupidity and promptly report the Captain's cabin to sit and talk this out." She then turned her attention on the younger Turner man.

"Will you obviously don't think our Captain is going to kill you because you've lowered your sword, and Captain," Diablo said turning once more to face her captain "You most definitely have some explaining to do since you've left your family for a good fifteen years." Bootstrap's face was turning red with anger.

"WOMAN you will learn to…"

"INSIDE NOW!" Diablo shouted, and Bootstrap jumped.

"Bloody wretched woman…"

"Is she your consort?" Will said quietly, "Did you cheat on mother while you were away?" Diablo had to stop her jaw from dropping, she opted instead to stare coldly at Will without saying anything. Had she opened her mouth she might put either the young Turner man over the edge, or the elder Turner man over the edge. She did not want to deal with that right now.

"What?" Bootstrap looked confused, then sort of relieved that his son was finally acknowledging him "No son, she's not a consort, she's more of a daughter…"

"You had another child?"

"Oh for God's sake," Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You're the Captain of this ship, do you really want all of your personal business all over the place?" She pointed her finger at them standing with her arms akimbo "You should both be ashamed of yourselves, the resemblance between you two is uncanny."

"As well as the shared IQ of a wooden plank." Diablo rolled her eyes as she walked over past the captain. She was pleased that this Elizabeth girl showed some common sense. "Well then, shall we proceed gentlemen?"

"Aye, come on son, there's actually quite a bit I need to tell you." Will nodded stiffly and reached a hand to Elizabeth who took it. Together they followed Bootstrap Bill into his wardroom. Diablo lingered behind, running her eyes over the still stunned expressions of the crew.

"What're you blasted monkeys still looking at?" They jumped at the young girl's waspish voice.

"Get the fuck moving or they'll be cuts in the slops tonight and every night till we find what we're looking for." The crew still blinked at her

"Get the Fuck Back to WORK!" Diablo hollered. The men all looked from one to another before shuffling off to their posts fast. Their captain looking frustrated was odd, finding a son was odder, but Diablo screaming more then once a day was downright scary. The only other time she screamed was when Tippen _accidentally_ opened her cabin door without knocking. Tippen now had a crooked nose and was missing several mismatching toes and figures. Tippen was also dead at the bottom of the ocean. But the one thing they all seemed to remember was the crooked bleeding nose and the fingers and toes that went flying in all directions, as well as the screams.

"Diablo?" Marlow asked.

"What?" Diablo's voice had lowered back to normal.

"The crew will not like not knowing what's going on."

"I'm well aware of that, and the _Captain_ will inform the crew of what's going on when he deems it appropriate."

"Don't you usually handle the info?" Marlow prodded, he smirked and humorously poked Diablo on the arm. Diablo shook her head, it was true, she was usually the person who informed everyone of everything.

"I think these matters were best settled by the Captain." Diablo peered at Marlow.

"Besides, don't you have a sword to clean or two?" Marlow laughed.

"Ok, ok, point taken." He left Diablo there next to the railing.

Diablo looked over the railing back to where they had just set off from. Port Royal was now a half a day's sail away. Well it was half a day's sail away on any other ship. The _Dragoness_ was the fasted ship on water. A combination of Norse and British technology gave the boat it's sleek design and long body. The ship also had two more large wind sails then the British ships did, giving it more wind power, thus more speed. Right now all three main sails were up and running, going across the water at top speed. No military ship, no _Black Pearl_ could outmatch it's speed. The _Dragoness_ was also heavily armed, in addition to ten cannons lining each side of the lower deck, there were also two cannons at the bow, and three cannons at the stern. Topside had five cannons on each side that were removable and could be easily be swerved around to point in any direction. Diablo sighed again as she looked back to where Port Royal would have been, it had faded from sight hours ago. She took one last look, and went to gather food and refreshments. The Captain would probably not want his son to starve, and if he was going to welcome a daughter in law into the family he might as well start shaping up a bit on his hospitality.

Bootstrap Bill closed the door to his room as he heard Diablo's voice bellow out

"Get the Fuck Back to WORK!" He shook his head at the sound. The girl could peel sheets of solid wood off his ship with her voice if she had a mind to. He turned over to look at the young couple before him. They did not look pleased. Bootstrap steeled himself. He was a pirate captain for God's sake. But the sight of his son standing there defensively, looking so betrayed, Bootstrap sighed. It was going to be a long trip.

"Now will you please put down that sword?" Bootstrap looked at his son

"Not until you tell me what's going on." Will said

"Besides how are we so sure you're who you say you are?" Elizabeth added.

"You mean besides the looks, the handkerchiefs and the fact that I can remember exactly how hard it was to potty train your soon to be husband." Will turned scarlet. And Bootstrap shook his head again. William always blushed mighty easily, just like Milady. He clutched the handkerchief in his hands closer to him, "I thought I would at least get to see you both at least once more." He held out the handkerchief to Will becoming more and more antsy.

"Come on son, stop this foolishness and at least sit down so we can have something to eat and a drink." Will looked at him sideways,

"All right, but there will be no harm done to Elizabeth"

"There will be no harm done to either of you now please sit." Bootstrap motioned his hand over to a table in his cabin. Will nodded and then took Elizabeth's hand and led her over to one of the seats that was surrounding the large wooden table. He pulled a chair out for her and then sat down in the chair next to her. Bootstrap who was watching all this seemed rather pleased that his only son turned out to be quite the gentleman.

A knock came at the door, and it opened to reveal Diablo carrying a tray of food and drinks.

"I wasn't quite sure what their tastes ran to, so I got them wine and brought some of that orange juice that we had left over from the tropics."

"Orange juice?" Will looked over at Diablo "Do you think this is a party or something?"

"We're trying to make you comfortable Will" Bootstrap cut in "There's no need to be hostile, besides, she's technically your sister."

"So you did cheat on mom!" Will sat up quickly, knocking over his chair. "Why, why did you do that?"

"Sit down boy" Bootstrap Bill sat down heavily, massaging his temples. "Why are you so stubborn. Just sit down and let me explain."

Will looked between his father and the girl that was standing at the table laying out cups and plates of food for them, he sat back down.

"Good." Bootstrap took a drink of wine from his goblet.

"Now…. Where shall I begin?" Bootstrap asked while popping a grape into his mouth. Diablo sat down next to them and started slicing the cheese with one of her daggers.

"How about explaining to me how you survived being shot out of a cannon?"

"Well that's quite easy. As you know, since you've been acquainted with my charming former Captain; Barbossa, that there was a curse placed upon the Aztec gold that we took from the chest."

"Yes, we know about that, but that doesn't explain anything about why he would shot you out of the cannon." Elizabeth said.

"Oh he didn't tell you that now did he?" Bill wrung the handkerchief in his hand like it was somebody's neck. "I guess the bloody bastard wouldn't do that now would he.

"Well the thing is, the curse came with a warning. I don't mean like the way curses usually come with warnings which come in the form of a verbal threat or some kind of rumor. I mean an actual warning. I was the first one to reach that chest, and I was the first one to break the seal and pry it open. Thus I was the one that received the physical warning." Bootstrap Bill shuddered, and poured himself some more wine.

"It was horrible, the second I opened the chest and touched that gold it flew at me."

"What flew at you?" Will asked as Diablo handed him a glass of juice.

"Um, thank you." Will said with a sheepish kind of look on his face. Diablo just smirked at him.

"Think nothing of it."

"What flew at me?" Bootstrap Bill shuddered. "It really can't be described. When I first saw it I thought that it was the curse that the Aztec Gods had put on the gold. I thought they had somehow managed to capture the hand of death itself to do their bidding. But it was not. It surrounded me on all sides enveloping me in this cold, cold embrace. I thought I was going to die. Instead all I could hear around me were voices. They whispered to me like sirens of the old Grecian days. Whispered that since I opened the chest, I and anyone else that took the gold would be cursed. The only way that I could redeem myself was to seal the gold back in the chest once again with blood, my blood to be precise. For a second there I scoffed, not believing the voices around me, thinking that I was dreaming and hit my head. So the voices decided to give themselves a face." Bootstrap stopped again, and poured himself another glass of wine. His hand slightly shook as he reached for the bottle.

"For as long as I live I shall never forget that face, though if you ask me to describe it, I will never be able to and if you ask me to draw it, it could never be done." Bootstrap Bill looked hard at his son. "I hope that you never have to look upon a face such as that, a face such as that, _changes_ people." Will looked at his father.

"Is that why you have that haunted look in your eyes, is that why Jack has it?"

"Jack?" Bootstrap harrumphed, "No, Jack did not see those _things_, he was left high and dry long before we got to the island"

"But you said…"

"I know what I said, it was actually _me_ that did nothing to stop them, _me_,

that did not help him, _me_ that Jack should want to kill. Yet for some reason a man cannot help feeling jealous when he sees that the person he got shot for is alive and well, and…. Ahh, it's just nothing but pride and foolishness boy."

"Can you continue with your story, what happened?"

"The face, it did not make it's appearance just to scare me, it showed me a vision as well. It essentially showed me our future, at first it looked great. We were shot, and we didn't die, we were hung, and yet remained alive, we could breathe underwater, walk upon the ocean's floors, we were immortal! But then the moonlight shown down upon us, and we were monsters. We couldn't eat; the food turned to ashes in our mouths, we couldn't sleep; for no rest could have come to us, we couldn't touch; for we would feel nothing, no pain, no warmth, no cold, no sense of smell, no sense of life. It was as if we could interact with the world of the living, but it refused to interact with us." Bootstrap looked at his son.

"I remembered Jack at that moment, I remember thinking that he was one lucky bastard, he could feel, he could touch, he could…… he could die. The second that thought reached my head I found myself on the floor of the treasure room, my compatriots, looking down at me, they asked me if I was ok. I told them not to touch the gold, I told them the consequences of the curse, and I told them to just leave. But they did not believe me. Then I mentioned Jack, it was a stupid move, but I told them Jack would have believed me. They turned on me then, saying that I was a mutineer, that I was on the wrong side, and that I was stupid." Bootstrap shook his head again as if he was clearing out his thoughts, reorganizing the facts.

"I had the last laugh though, when they tied me up and shot me out of that cannon I managed to snatch one piece of the Aztec gold, snatch one piece and held on to it so they would be cursed for eternity, cursed for killing Jack, cursed for their foolishness, and cursed, for turning on their _friends_ whenever it was convenient. I was bitter and angry and I wanted them to suffer. The only advantage I had was the fact that I knew what our curse was. When they shot me out of that cannon I, well, I was forced to test the non breathing issue out first hand. It worked like a charm. Luckily for me they did not shoot me off into a particularly deep part of the ocean. Ha, according to Barbossa, as long as the water was a league or so above my head I would be as good as dead. The sea was 250 leagues above me, and no son, that's not deep at all, not when you are able to walk along the bottom, not when you don't have to eat, not when you can't feel the water sucking at your skin and bones. I spent months down there, and the things I saw…. I don't think another human being will ever see again. When I finally came to shore I found myself on the continent of South America, it was full of Spaniards, this quaint little place and to my utter and pleasant surprise I had not changed at all in appearance. I immediately went to the nearest post office, I sent the medallion to you, thinking that it would clue you and your mother in on the fact that I was alive and well, but not anyone else. I also went to the bank and attempted to gather some of my assets together to buy myself a trip home to England."

"If you where trying to do that, then why didn't you come home earlier? Mum cried every night you didn't come home thinking that your ship must have crashed somewhere or something." Will said

"I couldn't come home" Said Bootstrap, "Barbossa was becoming too much of a threat. You see during the time I was away Barbossa and his men had been making quite a name for themselves. I realized then that they knew full and well about the curse, and knew that they couldn't be killed. If they knew that, they also must have figured out that what I told them about lifting the curse would have been true, and they would have to get my blood to release them from it. There was no bloody chance in hell that I would have helped them, no chance. So instead I stayed in that quaint little city, making a name for myself as a shell and jewelry salesman. I learned the language and stayed out of sight. Through the market places I would hear rumors about the _Black Pearl _and it's doomed crew of pirates so evil that hell spat them out." Bootstrap Bill laughed, "Oh hell didn't spit them back out, they just couldn't lay their hands on them that's all. Not yet anyway." He sighed, took a breath and continued with his story

" I could always gather whatever materials I needed at the bottom of the ocean, eventually I began to make money and decided that it was time to find my sea legs again. On my way home one day I passed by the slave market. Now I usually don't pay attention to it much, I'm not a big supporter of the flesh industry but something caught my eye. I saw a little girl, around the age of twelve. She was sneaking her way out of the back tent, she was small, lanky, Asian, plain looking in my opinion, but she had that spark that's hard to find in people. I felt bad for her, the second she was caught they would probably beat her and then sell her to the highest bidder. Virgins always sold quick. As I predicted one of the flesh traders soon realized what her intentions were and immediately tried to stop her. She killed him, she didn't' blink, she didn't' scream, she simply took out these two long daggers, long even for an adult, and gutted him, he didn't' have a chance. When she finished she looked up at me with these ice cold eyes, daring me to tell anyone of what she had done. I tipped my hat at her, and was soon on my way."

"The girl you met was Diablo wasn't it?" Will asked looking at the Asian girl that sat across from him "It must have been terrible for you." Diablo raised an eyebrow

"I certainly made my outlook on life more _diverse_ then most twelve year olds." Elizabeth blinked at that comment

"Diverse?" Elizabeth looked again at Diablo, she was actually quite pretty Elizabeth thought, for a girl who probably never touched cosmetics she had rather good skin. And for some reason even though everyone else on this boat was tanned and browned her skin remained fair and only slightly bronzed, like someone had sprinkled a fine gold dust upon her. She could probably clean up nicely. Elizabeth blinked again, I guess I should be friends with her, she just might be my sister in law after all.

"Did you go with Bootstrap Bill then? Is that when you escaped the slave traders?"

"No, the Captain left and two men jumped me, they tried to take away my daggers but luckily for me they were also partially drunk and thought that I was a young street whore instead of one of their wares" Diablo chuckled lightly.

"I was tall for my age, and filling out a bit earlier then I was suppose to. I think it's what saved me that night, that and they had just picked me up a week ago. I was still pretty unrecognizable, had they known what I really was they would have either killed me, or beaten me to death, I was lucky that they were drunk and stupid. I killed them and then left to find a ship."

"Just like that?" Elizabeth looked skeptical

"That's all you're going to hear" Diablo said "So yes, _just like that_"

"That still doesn't explain how you ended up with my father."

"Ahh so you're calling me father now?" Bootstrap seemed very pleased with himself. Although whether it was because of the wine or not, nobody knows.

"Good, good, glad to know we're making progress."

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Author's note; 

He, he, kinda evil to end it here isn't it? No worries though, there will be explanations soon. Thank you so much for all who have reviewed, and as usual please read and review

Until next time!

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	4. We give chase

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

 Chapter 4: We give chase

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Disclaimer.....As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

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Author's Note;

            Many, many apologizes for the delay, AOL has been acting up all month, it hasn't let me log on, not even for a cookie on Christmas, hrmph.

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Back at Port Royal

            "Lieutenant Gillette, ready the _Dauntless_ and the _Interceptor_ and make ready to give chase." Commodore Norrington barked over the commotion of panicking wedding guests and busy body on lookers "And will somebody please get all of these people out of the courtyard?"     

            "Already on that sir!" Two uniformed men saluted him as he rushed pass them over to a very distressed Governor Swann who was shaking his head and wringing his hands at something that Jack was saying next to him

            "Now don't you worry about a thing gov, me and my crew will get that bonnie lass of yours back, _savvy_?"        

            "Not savvy Sparrow, your crew had until the wedding to get out, the agreement was if you were still here afterwards you would be arrested.

            "Hang him" Governor Swann said. Jack looked deeply offended.

            "Now you just wait yourself a minute, have you not heard a word of what I said?" Jack shook his head, "the man has worse hearing then I do."

            "State your point Sparrow." Commodore Norrington said.

            "Eh, oh.., right, right, my point is that I can guarantee you that those particular pirates will not harm a hair on your bonnie lass's head, or Will's for that matter. _Savvy_, you see both bride and groom will come back, happy healthy and…."

            "Horseshit,"

            "No, no, that stinks that stuff rightly does"

            "Commodore, we've rounded up the pirates!" 

            "Excellent" Jack looked around at the pirates they apprehended

            "Funny, those riffraff look awfully familiar…."

            "We're your crew you refried bean head!" Anamaria shouted 

            "Wha?" 

            "Refried bean, your brain's been fried so many times over its mush."

            "Now Anamaria luv that isn't rightly a nice thing to say to your beloved captain"

            "You're not going to be the captain of anything in about five seconds" Norrington interjected. "Cuff him in irons."

            "Now, hold on a sec, what if I told you that I knew exactly who the captain of that ship was, and that I knew exactly where he was headed."

            Norrington looked at him

            "You're bluffing"

            "No mate, I'm really not" Jack said looping an arm around Norrington's shoulders, Norrington cringed. "Like I said, I'm always rooting for you, and I know you would just luuuve to come out the hero in all of this, so, I'm just gonna give it to you straight, that pirate's name is Bootstrap Bill, AKA William Turner Sr."

            The entire militia burst out laughing

            "Everyone in town knows that Will's father is dead" 

            "You're gonna have to do better then that" Jack looked at them, grinned then said;

            "Sure, dead like those pirates on _The Black Pearl_ those 5 years past."

            They stopped laughing

            "But that's preposterous!" Governor Swann said "Why would a man interrupt his own son's wedding, and at that, why would he then take them as captives"

            "Because maybe said man didn't know at the time the groom was his son and the bride was about to be his new daughter in law" Jack unwound himself from Norrington, who silently vowed the next time Jack did that he would cut off his hands, and made his way over to the Governor. "Now as you know _The Black Pearl is the fastest ship in the Caribbean, well, that is until the _Dragoness_ sailed here, but that's not gonna matter, they usually sail somewhere along the Atlantic anyways, the point is, the _Dragoness_, Bootstrap's boat, is f, fa, a, a, fa, faster" Jack stumbled at the word, he hated the idea of not having the fasted ship in the Caribbean, "faster then the _Black Pearl_ and the __Black Pearl is faster then the __Interceptor, don't you think it would make sense for the _Black Pearl_ to give chase?" Jack looked around nodding pleased at his own logic_

            "Savvy?"

            "Then why don't we sail the _Black Pearl_ and lock you up?" Norrington suggested airily

            "Eh, well that brings me to the second part of what I was about to say." Jack nodded at him knowingly

            "Uh hum, hum, hum, the second part" Governor Swann looked at him expectantly

            "And that is?"

            "What is?" Jack said blinking at them innocently.

            "YOU WERE BLOODY GOING TO TELL THEM WHY THEY SHOULD LET US GO AND WHERE THE FUCK THEY BROUGHT WILL AND HIS STRUMPET!" Anamaria was gonna hang Jack with his own balls if he didn't get on with it soon, Jack looked like he just got kicked in the face by a fat horse.

            "Now just wait a minute…"

            "I'll have you know my daughter is no…"

            "I will not have that kind of language directed at…"

            Commotion and chaos erupted all over again until Jack shouted

            "She's sorry, she's sorry, I'm bloody sorry ok, hold your anchors, _savvy?_"

            "Now, luv, you're no fun at all," Jack said to Anamaria, he turned back to Commodore Norrington and was about to drape himself on said commodore's shoulders again when, 

            "If you value your hands then you will not be so informal with me" Norrington leveled a pistol at him. Jack looked at him and then at the pistol quickly back at Norrington again.

            "If you're threatening my hands then why is _that_ being aimed at my family jewels?"

            "Get on with the location"

            "Tortuga" Jack said with a flourish

            "Oh is that all," Norrington said, "Cuff him"

           "Now, now wait a minute; you don't understand the complexities of that situation." Jack said waving his hands about.

            "And you do."

            "I've been there haven't I, and who else here can claim the same?"

            His whole crew raised their hands. Jack blinked

            "Who here, not a part of my crew has been there?"

            "If you don't come up with a better excuse soon they won't be your crew anymore." 

            Jack's whole crew raised their hands again.

            "Bloody hell Norrington, I'm trying to be your bloody friend here,"

            "Don't"

            "If you go in there with that fancy ship of yours shooting and killing Bootstrap Bill will leave faster then all out heck, and you'll never catch up to them, if I go in there sneaky and such, I can go negotiate something of a trade off, like them leaving and _us_ leaving without cuffs and in return you get your bonnie lass and lad back, how's that? _Savvy?"_

            "No"

            "Bloody hell why not?"

            "There will be no negotiations with pirates." Norrington simply said

            "Then why did you waste your time talking to me, why didn't you cuff in the first place?" Jack was extremely exasperated.

            "Information"

            "Bloody Hell Norrington, I'm trying to help you here."

            "As much as I'd hate to take his side" Both men turned toward Governor Swann

            "He seems to have a point, besides we're wasting time arguing, we have to catch up with that ship." Norrington seemed to consider this for a second

            "Un cuff them" He turned to Gillette "Are the ships ready to sail?"

            "Ready, and waiting for you sir."

            "Good, Governor, I'm sorry you can't come with us on this, men, to the ships" he turned back to Jack

            "Sparrow you…." 

            "Already ahead of you mate!" Norrington turned to see Jack vault onto the _Black Pearl his crew had somehow already boarded the vessel and were launching off._

            "We'll meet you at Gongolan that little island right off of Tortuga! And there you will have your bonnie lass back, although she's not really your lass anymore now is she?"

            "Damn him."  Norrington cursed his luck and made his way quickly to the _Interceptor_ as it's anchor was pulled up and its white sails billowed open letting the ship gain full speed as the wind picked up. 

            "Damn that infernal man and his crew."

            "What do we do now Commodore?"

            "We give chase."

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Author's Note; Short chapter, yes yes I know, but the next will come quickly, Thank you all soo very much for reading and reviewing, I just loves reviews! I just eat them all up, "sigh" and now off to write chapter 5!


	5. The Stowaway

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

 Chapter 5: The Stowaway

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Disclaimer.....As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

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_The Dragoness_

            "So?" Will inquired. Bootstrap looked over at his son 

            "So how about you let your father get some rest. Your sister can show you two a room and we can all turn in for the night?"

            "How about you explain why she's my sister?"

            "I'm not technically your sister." The two Turner men looked over at Diablo

            "Bootstrap just calls me his daughter to keep the crew from wondering who I am and how come your father isn't screwing me."

            Will blinked at the girl

            "Well why are you here?" Elizabeth asked.

            "All in good time my dear, all in good time." Bootstrap said. The many, many goblets of wine he consumed were beginning to take their effect. After the curse had been taken off he realized that he couldn't nearly drink as much as he could. Then again, he was actually able to taste the drink so he didn't complain too much. 

            "Come along you two, there's a nice guest room above board, it's rather comfortably furnished, it should room two without a problem, I'll show you to it." Diablo motioned with her hand to follow her, and disappeared outside the door.

            Will looked at his father who was slightly tipsy and kind of out of it.

            "We'll finish this tomorrow." Bootstrap Bill smiled at him lazily

            "It's sooo good to see you again son." He got up and clapped Will on the back 

"You have no idea." Will nodded at his father, took Elizabeth's hand and they both wished Bootstrap Bill goodnight. He waved at them and they went outside where they found Diablo waiting for them with a lantern and some more food.

            "You didn't eat that much in there, so I figured you might want some more back in your room." She waved her lantern over "This way now, it's only a step or two away from your father's room"

            "Where do you sleep?" Will asked her suddenly

            "On the third and final room topside, right next to yours" Diablo smiled gently at the slightly worried faces of Will and Elizabeth. "Don't look so abashed, and don't think there's knotholes and such that I'm gonna peek through and check on you, or any other sorts of nonsense like that. 

            "I wasn't…"

            "You were, no matters though." Diablo opened the door to a fairly large sized room. It was simple, with a bed built into the wall and cabinet built into the wall on each side of it. There was a large table nailed down to the left of the room, and chairs surrounding it. On the right was a vanity that lacked a chair but had a good sturdy mirror. The whole place had the just washed look to it, as though someone had just cleaned up in here minutes before they came in. In fact Diablo had seen to it that someone had cleaned it up right before. Diablo set the food on the table and went to go light the lanterns in the room.

            "This looks a bit like a woman's room" Will remarked

            "Well it was designed with your mother in mind." Will turned to look at Diablo, 

            "But according to my father's story, by the time my father brought the ship he had already heard of our deaths."

            "Well first of all this is not the ship that he bought at the South American shore. This was custom made later on. Besides even though he thought you two were dead it didn't mean that the man couldn't mourn and long for something."

            Will turned and looked at Diablo

            "You seem to know an awfully lot about my father" Diablo merely looked back at him

            "I've been with your father for a good ten years, is it ten? No it's been more like fifteen years. He's told me many things about your family, the _Black Pearl, Jack, and some of the more interesting legends and myths that he heard while on the shores of well everywhere."_

            "Why's he so pissed off at Jack?" Elizabeth asked

            "Yes he seemed very keen on either avoiding the subject of Jack or taunting him" Will said, he put his sword down on the table and took another glass of orange juice.

            "Oh that" Diablo rolled her eyes, "They're not mad at each other, they just play off each other, or against each other or what not."

            "It's a game?"

            "One that they played every time they ran into each other in Tortuga" Diablo sat down at the table and Elizabeth joined her "That little taunt back at Port Royal was probably just an invite for Jack to come and join the party"

            "You're kidding, he sounded absolutely steaming mad when I brought up Jack earlier today." Will said, taking a seat at the table "Said something about jealousy?" 

            " He's a bit of a over dramatist isn't he?" Diablo grinned and popped a grape in her mouth "Besides, if he wasn't it would take all the excitement out of their relationship, not to mention make our raids completely boring"

            "He used to always love to tell stories and jokes at home"

            "So you can imagine how much of a wanker he is out here."

            Elizabeth laughed and Will shook his head in disbelief, 

            "It's still a little hard to process"

            "Are you going to tell us how you met Bootstrap Bill?" Elizabeth asked Diablo

            "I thought we were going to continue all the stories tomorrow?" Diablo said as she sliced some bread and a bit of ham and speared a pickle "Here have a sandwich"

            "Thanks" Will and Elizabeth said simultaneously 

            "Dad said he would start telling us again tomorrow, you didn't" Will said as he took a bite of his sandwich. 

            "What? So you just assumed that I would keep telling you stories till the early light of dawn?"

            "Good suggestion." Elizabeth said reaching for some mustard

            "Sounds like a plan" Will said "Pass the mustard"

            Diablo blinked, me and my big mouth.

            "Ok then children" She said placating them like a mother did to her children at bedtime, "But only one, so what would you like to hear about?" 

            "How about starting out with your real name, it can't possibly be Diablo, I mean it's like a call name, like Bootstrap or something right?" Elizabeth asked

            "Ahh the name, yes well I don't like my name, it's long winded and stupid and sounds like something out of a poorly written er……_love_ story"

            "You mean like those romance novels where the heroine has be rescued by a handsome and masked stranger?"  Elizabeth asked. Diablo cringed.

            "Something along the lines of that."

            "Well what is it?" Will asked 

            "Marafjksdlfjs" Diablo mumbled off into her sandwich

            "What was that?"

            "Maradjlfkhs" She mumbled off again into her glass of wine.

            "Come again?" 

Diablo rolled her eyes  

            "Maralette"  

Elizabeth and Will looked at each other

            "That's so pretty!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "And really exotic, who came up with it?"

            "My mother did when she decided that I needed an English name."

            "Well it doesn't sound English."

            "When I say English, I mean a name in the English language, not necessary a British name."

            "Oh"

            "Tell us about your family." Will said

            "No"

            "Why ever not" Elizabeth pouted, "You seem to know an awful lot about ours"

            "That's not the point. No"

            "Fine, then tell us how you ended up sailing with my father." Will said. Diablo laughed

            "Are you sure you wouldn't rather hear it from his lips?" She smiled at the two of them "I'm sure he can spin a much more interesting tale then I"

            "Yes but for some reason I think I'd be getting the reliable version if I asked you for it." Diablo asked again

            "No, no, don't get the Captain wrong, he's never at fault with his facts, he just over dramatizes things that really don't mean a thing at times. He's quite the story teller as you would know." Will smiled a little sheepishly

            "Yes I would, now will you get on with the story?"

            "Well it's really a matter of chance."

            "Chance?" Elizabeth asked

            "Well if you remember, I had just fought off those two _tradesmen and I had to get out of that continent as fast as possible. I was a slave, or at least I was a ware, and that pretty much guaranteed that I was going to be a slave, and I had committed three murders already. It was not a good record to have in a place where I knew no one and had no connections. Obviously the fastest way to get off a continent was by ship, so I stole into one of the barrels that was being loaded onto a particularly large ship figuring that I would not be noticed because of the sheer size of the vessel. With any luck on my side I could go wherever that ship was destined to go and try to make my way home from there."_

            "Where is your home?" Elizabeth asked

            "China."

            "Well that's impossible, how in the world were you going to get back all the way over there, it's all the way on the other side of the world. It would take months, and not many merchant ships fancy the trip all the way across the Atlantic Ocean just to brave another body of water" Will exclaimed

            "Not to mention a ship is an enclosed area, you would have been discovered within the day" Elizabeth added

            "Ahh, but explain that to stubborn twelve year old" 

            "So you got in the barrel and went in the ship anyway?" Will asked

            "Pretty much."

            "How come my father didn't kick you off the ship when he discovered you?"

            Diablo smirked at him

            "I'll leave that story for him to tell. Besides" Diablo raised her hands at their protests "I have fulfilled my storytelling obligations for the night" Diablo got up and walked over to the exit of the room.

            "I'll leave you two to settle in for the night. There should be fresh blankets in the shelves next to the bed and pillows as well"

            "Wait," Elizabeth called out "Can I ask one more question before you go?" Diablo seemed to consider this for a little

            "All right, but make it quick."

            "How old are you?" Diablo seemed slightly surprised by the question

            "If my calculations are correct, I should be twenty eight"

            "You're that old?"

            "Will!"

            "Well I'm astonished, I apologize for my outburst but you look younger then most um, almost thirty year olds."

            Diablo blinked at him trying to smile but couldn't succeed in pulling her lips around her teeth

            "Don't worry too much about it. Good night."

            "Good night."

            Diablo left the room closing the door shut lightly behind her.

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Author's Note; Whew and another chapter is done! Six should be up by the end of the week, we're just about to find out exactly where they are headed and why 

And to answer some questions and addressed concerns that where in the reviews, here's a short list of answers

Bootstrap being angry at Jack; Sorry about that didn't mean for them to come off as hating each other, more like an ambiguous relationship that unfolds later on

Norrington and Governor Swann being mean to Jack; Yes it was established at the end of the movie that they no longer believed that all pirates are bad, no I am not going to paint Norrington or Governor Swann as the bad guys. But the truth of the matter is just because Norrington no longer despises Jack doesn't mean that he like him, and doesn't mean that he's going to let Jack get off scott free for all the other crimes that he has committed. They merely gave him a breather in light of his good deeds. 

What pairing is this?; Well there are two, one is obviously Will and Elizabeth, but they are merely the secondary pairing, The primary pair will be revealed within the next few chapters.

Why the title?; heheheheheheh that's coming in the next chapter

And why did they want to take Elizabeth in the first place?; Also coming up in chapter 6 

Randomly YES! I have heard about the sequel I also heard that all the main characters are signed up to be in it WOOT I can't wait.

I hope this clears some things up, As usual please read and review! Love ya forever if you do,  it's currently 2:00AM and I'm off to sleep. 

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	6. The Plan is Revealed

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

 Chapter 6: The Plan is Revealed

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Disclaimer.....As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

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_Dragoness_

            When Diablo left Will and Elizabeth's room she made her way back over to the captain's board. 

            "You wanted to see me?" Bootstrap Bill looked over to her and nodded, all signs of tipsiness were banished.

            "I'm sure you're aware there are three ships following us?" 

            Diablo nodded

            "_The HMS Interceptor, The HMS Dauntless and of course the lovely _Black Pearl_"_

            "Jack is on his way, and now we have four armed boats in case the Portuguese decide to attack us."

            "It's not going to be easy trying to convince those Brits to lower their precious flag."      Bootstrap snorted, pouring both himself and Diablo a goblet full of wine. 

            "Sit" She sat next to him studying her captain. 

            "You do realize Diablo, that if this goes through there won't be any need for me to be a Pirate anymore?" He took a sip of wine "I'm fifty years old, it's about time that I retire" He looked over at the young Asian women next to him, her skin glowed a burnished gold in the soft candlelight. 

            "You know the ship would be yours after this do you not?" Diablo shook her head, 

            "I'll keep it for you, in your stead." Bootstrap shook his head, he's known the girl for more then a decade yet she still kept parts of herself closed and constantly out of reach. He still had no idea how a girl like her knew about weapons, gunpowder, ships, yet had manners to suggest that her parents were educated wealthy people. Not to mention that wickedly scary sense of practicality. 

            "I plan to have one of the crew go aboard one of their ships as a message of good will. I will also need that crew member to tell them of the circumstances and about the Portuguese, I really need for someone to convince them that this is a good plan of action, and that that gold really doesn't belong to the Portuguese"

            Diablo snorted at her captain

            "Not like they know where it's located anyway

            "We also have to watch out for that flesh merchant."

            "Hessian" Diablo hissed

            "Yes" Bootstrap looked at the young girl whose facial expression hardened into one of anger "Are you sure you want to be the one who goes with them? They are an all male crew and…"

            "And their commodore won't let them lay a hand on me." Diablo smirked ruefully

            "Well at least, he won't condone that kind of funny business" Bootstrap looked at her thoughtfully for a second then nodded in agreement.

            "Aye, that he won't" He looked at her again, watching the muscles in her face relax into that blank expression again

            "Have you contacted your parents yet?" Diablo looked away from her captain, he asked her that every few months or so, especially since he was once a parent that had lost his children.

            "It would cause them trouble if I were found alive."

            "But it would ease their grief" 

            She looked at him and gave the same response that she always gave to this question

            "Perhaps one day."

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_tap__ tap tap _

Will awoke to the slight sound of tapping, that's odd, what could be tapping in his room? He sat up suddenly looking around confusedly; he blinked as his mind slowly reminded him of the events that happened yesterday, the wedding that was not completed, the kidnapping, Diablo, and his _father_. Will looked at the sleeping beauty next to him; his fiancé who he had yet to marry was sleeping soundly next to him as if there wasn't a care in the world. He smiled smoothing a lock of her hair back and gently kissing her brow. She smiled in her sleep. Will however did have cares and worries, the man was his father, there was precious little doubt about that. But there still remains the question as to why they were captured, and where they were headed. Also on his mind was Diablo. Even though his father was a good man, there weren't many captains that were willing to take on an extra mouth to feed whether he felt pity for the girl or not. Although, she does seem to pull her own weight on the ship, and in the raids as well. Not only that the crew seemed to respect and hold Diablo in high regard. Still, it must not have always been this way. And he didn't buy for one minute that the crew seriously believed Diablo was their captain's daughter. They followed her out of respect and took that façade for another unknown reason. To protect her maybe? That would be a first, and a surprise as well. 

            _tap__ tap tap_

            Will turned his head toward that noise; it was coming from the door

            "Just a moment!" he called out. The tapping stopped. 

            Will got up and put on his breeches and shirt and checked his appearance over in the mirror to make sure he was presentable before he walked over and opened the door 

            "Morning" Diablo greeted him Will blinked at her

            "What time is it?"

            "It's almost the afternoon, but not quite yet, I brought over some food and a bit of clothing, I thought it would be more prudent for you to change out of your wedding finery." Will shook his head at her, he had completely forgotten about that, he grimaced as he looked at his jacket, it was completely ruined. 

            "Am I to always see you with a plate of food? Is it my father's or your intentions to stuff us fatter then pigs?" Will smiled at Diablo's bemused expression.

            "The fatter you are the slower you move, the slower you move, the easier it is to control you."

            Will laughed 

            "Please tell me that you are joking." Diablo merely winked at him and set the food on the table, she took the top part of the bundle of clothes and handed it to Will

            "These are your father's, you two are about the same build and size so hopefully these will fit you" She held up a pair of pants, a shirt and a jacket to go over it. 

            "I would have gotten you two shoes as well but I think you'll just have to make do for now, at least until we dock, then we can get you some" Diablo looked Will over

            "Actually, I think we only have to worry about Elizabeth's footwear, you seem to be doing fine in those boots of yours. 

            "Where did you get Elizabeth's clothing?"

            "They're mine from when I was younger, thinner and shorter." Diablo grimaced "My teenage years." She held up the clothes for Elizabeth which consisted of a side spilt riding skirt, blouse and short tunic to go over it

            "She's quite a bit skinner then me, I hope these aren't too big" 

            "You're not that fat." Diablo sighed. Leave it to the Turners to be painfully blunt

            "Thanks so very much"

            Elizabeth chose that moment to stir and crack an eye open

            "Will"

            "Yes love?" He asked crossing over to her side

            "I had the oddest dream last night, we were getting married and it got interrupted by pirates whose captain was your father" Will smiled at her and Diablo rolled her eyes, she obviously hadn't been spotted yet. "Not only that there was this strange girl with a devil's name, she was your adopted sister and was actually really nice to us, and made sure we were very well fed" Elizabeth blinked "She was also really, really good with knives and killed an awful lot of people when she was at Port Royal"

            "Oh I just couldn't help with that, it was either them or me"

            "Holy shit, it wasn't a dream!" Elizabeth sat up quickly 

            "Ow" and promptly bumped her head into Will's chin, they both rubbed their respective injuries frowning. Diablo smirked at them as she finished pouring them each a glass of juice.

            "I'll just leave the two of you be while I go rouse the captain, he'll be wanting to see you after you eat and change, do you think you'll be able to find your way over to his cabin?"  

            "I think we can manage" Will said

            "Good" and she left them to their morning preparations 

            Elizabeth rolled out of bed and stretched, she was wearing her wedding shift, it was slightly more comfortable and it was the under dress that was beneath her wedding gown. She blushed when she looked at Will, he had only been sleeping in his drawers, luckily he was dressed now, she suspected that he did that because Diablo came to deliver their breakfast. She giggled slightly remembering the feeling of Will's arms around her last night, it was not their wedding night, and Will wanted everything to be proper, but he didn't seem to mind sharing her bed at all.

            "What did she bring us to eat this time?"

            "How did you know she brought food?"

            "I smelled it, that's what woke me up." Elizabeth said smiling

            "She also bought us clothes, said that it wouldn't do for us to be wandering around in our wedding finery."

            "Oh," Elizabeth wrinkled her nose at this "No offense to Diablo, but I hope that they're clean."

            Will frowned at that, it seemed to have slipped his mind for the moment that those were pirate's clothes that they were being offered, and they probably haven't been cleaned in months. He walked over to the desk, picked up the shirt Diablo had left for him and sniffed it vaguely, it smelled like lavender? He started to get changed into the proffered shirt pants and jacket. 

            "Lavender." He said to Elizabeth in wonder. Elizabeth walked over to her fiancé and took the shirt from him sniffing gently.

            "Well that's a refreshing surprise"

            "What pirate goes through the effort of packing his clothes in lavender so they don't become moth eaten?" Elizabeth asked looking at the clothes in wonder

            "I'm beginning to think that Diablo is not a pirate at all" Will said. Elizabeth looked at the clothes that she was offered, they too, were lightly scented with lavender.

            "What do you suppose she is then? If she's not a pirate then what is she doing with your father on a pirate ship, and we already saw at Port Royal that she does her share of pillaging and killing." Elizabeth shook out the clothes and began to change into them. They fit her quite well with the exception that the skirt was too long and the sleeves fell past her fingertips. Will sat down to eat what Diablo brought them contemplating what his beloved had just said

            "No, she didn't"

            "Oh come on Will, are you trying to tell me you missed it when she shot that man, or when she gutted that other officer, come to think of it I think that was Lieutenant Grooves!"            

            "No, that wasn't, Lieutenant Grooves was next to me, and got no where close to Diablo. I'm not saying that she didn't kill, I'm saying it was different from the other crew members."

            Elizabeth frowned and took a seat next to him snatching up an apple she cocked her head to one side.

            "You're right she didn't attack until she had other orders from your father, and they certainly weren't to steal."

            "She came specifically for you."

            "Do you think she's a mercenary?" Elizabeth asked with her eyes wide, "Or maybe an assassin?"

            "Then why bother with the story about her stowing away on your father's ship?"

            _tap__ tap tap _

            Both Elizabeth and Will started at the rapping at their door

            "Come in" Will called, he took Elizabeth's hand and squeezed it lightly

            In came Will's father in pretty much the same outfit that he wore the day before and a cleanly shaven face. He smiled at the couple seated at the table.

            "Ahhh, Diablo brought your breakfast, I was wondering where mine was this morning, good to know at least one of us is getting fed."

            "You would have been fed too had you stayed in your cabin long enough." A voice from behind him called. There was a disgruntled looked Diablo holding yet another tray with food

            "I'm beginning to feel like a bloody barmaid"

            "Ahh but my dear you'd gut anyone who call you that except for yourself of course." Diablo snorted

            "That's a given."

            Bootstrap Bill walked up to the table and sat himself down with Diablo following him. She set the tray down and turned to leave

            "Diablo!" Elizabeth called. The older women turned to look at the younger one

            "Thank you for the clothes, they fit rather well." Diablo nodded, and then noticed the sleeves

            "I'll get you a needle and thread and you can hem that skirt and those sleeves"

            Elizabeth nodded 

            "Thank you" Diablo turned again

            "Um wait"

            "Yes?" Diablo asked piercing Elizabeth with a glare. Will looked at his wife and spoke on her behalf

            "Elizabeth and I were just wondering if, well, we were still kind of curious about your past"

            "Oh that," Bootstrap waved his hand dismissedly "Even I don't know the entire truth about that girl's past"

            "Yes now that we've established that I have a foggy past may I leave?"

            "Yes go on, set the course for our destination." Bootstrap said as he grabbed some bread. Will turned to look at his father, as Diablo walked out shutting the door behind her.

            "And where might that be?"

            "Tortuga."

            "Whatever are we going there for?" 

            "I have to meet someone there, and I never miss a date."

            "Who are you meeting?" Elizabeth asked.

            "Jack" This caused the young couple to smile Bootstrap looked at this worriedly

            "Diablo told you didn't she?" They nodded. Bootstrap rolled his eyes, "Sometimes that girl really knows how to take the spark out of a relationship, or at least out of a good intrigue." Bootstrap scratched his chin "Although sometimes that girl knows how to lay a good intrigue out herself as well."

            "You mean about her past?" Elizabeth asked

            "No, I mean with the Commodore." 

            "What?!" Both Will and Elizabeth glanced at the older Turner man.

            "Trying to kill him is not laying out an intrigue."

            "Who says she tried to kill him?" 

            "But… but…"

            "If she was trying to kill him, she would have simply shot him, instead she knocked him out twice. I dare say she has a thing for him."

            Both Will and Elizabeth looked as if they were about to spit out the food they just swallowed. Bootstrap Bill who didn't seem to notice their expressions kept talking.

            "I wouldn't be surprised if she truly was interested, he looks about her age, or at least he would without that blasted flour paste wig of his and he's a respectable man who seems relatively well off. I wouldn't be surprised if she took a shine to him, nope not at all, besides I heard from Smith the line she left him, something about enjoying the view his face was providing her. HA! I would have loved to see that stiff's face at that!"

            It was only then that he noticed the shocked and disturbed faces of the other occupants of the room

            "I say," Bootstrap said looking at them with alarm "Is there something wrong with the food?"

            "Diablo _flirted_ with the Commodore?" Elizabeth asked aghast.

            "Norrington's going to shot her dead the next time he sees her" Will said.

            "Now what do you have against Diablo?" Bootstrap asked.

            "Nothing, but to Norrington she's just another pirate, another _male pirate that happened to have flirted with him." _

            "Yes, but that male getup she has is very helpful, it fools a lot of people."

            "It fooled us" Elizabeth said. 

            "And I'm betting it fooled Commodore Norrington as well." Will shook his head

            "Although I suppose it's good that the Commodore has an admirer" Elizabeth said

            "You mean someone he might be able to have a chance to marry this time?" Bootstrap said slyly. 

            This caused both his son and his soon to be daughter in law to look at him sharply.

            "How did you?"

            "I've heard the rumors, about a brave but poor blacksmith who slaved away at the bellows each day making swords so he could make enough money to woo the governor's daughter, and then one day the girl was stolen away by pirates, so the poor blacksmith went to the navy and tried to get them to help him rescue his love, but the evil commodore refused him and sent him away. So he stole a ship and went to find his love battling pirates and monsters along the way. When he did rescue her he had to face the most evil pirate of all, and he defeated him because of his love for the young governor's daughter. But alas even after returning her home he couldn't marry her because of her engagement to the evil commodore, but love had it's way and they eloped somewhere far away from the evil commodore. And now the young blacksmith and his wife are hidden far away in a town where the evil commodore can't find them, making swords and lots of money living happily every after" Bootstrap grinned at the horrified expressions on their faces "I just never thought that the brave virtuous blacksmith would be my son and the lovely governor's daughter, my daughter in law to be."

            "Well it certainly didn't happen that way" Elizabeth said "They left out Barbossa, and Jack, and we didn't elope, my father would have thrown a fit if we did"

            "And Commodore Norrington actually backed out of his engagement gracefully, like a gentleman" Will added.

            "Like a pansy" Bootstrap Bill interjected "He'd better fight for Diablo, if he doesn't she certainly would be most disappointed"

            "But she has nothing to be disappointed about" Will said.

            "They don't even have a relationship" Elizabeth exclaimed.

            "Still" Bootstrap insisted, it could happen "The girl's almost thirty anyway, she should start thinking about settling down." 

            "Who should start thinking about settling down?" The three people seated at the table turned their heads toward the door. Diablo was there casually cleaning one of her daggers and leaning against the door's frame.

            "Just how long have you been there girl?" Bootstrap Bill asked.

            "Since you said I had a _thing_ for the Commodore" Diablo said while continuing to polish her blade. She made her way into the room slowly, shutting the door behind her with a thud and walking around to the table, she handed a needle and some thread to Elizabeth.

            "Do you?" Bootstrap asked her pointedly Diablo seemed to consider this as she sheathed her dagger somewhere hidden on her person

            "He seems to be _fun_"

            "Fun?" Will asked, he was extremely bewildered. For the past decade and a half that he spent at Port Royal he had never once heard the Commodore be referred to as _fun._

            "You must be joking" Elizabeth said.

            "Now my dear, fun as it seems to you, it's not prudent to toy with someone like the Commodore, he'll probably try to hang you.

            "He's probably chasing us right now."

            "Ahh good, Then Jack's most likely sailing along with them on the _Black Pearl_."

            Diablo shook her head at her captain.

            "How did you arrive at the subject of the commodore anyway, weren't you going to tell them how you acquired this ship and all about your past, and not my love life?"

            "Yes but it's so rare that you actually find someone that catches your eye. Usually you catch their eye and then you, well, you take out their eye"

            "I do not" Diablo said rolling her eyes "I merely shoot them" 

            Elizabeth and Will stared at her

            "Well I guess we know why you're not married" This earned a snort from the older Turner man, and a head shake from the younger

            "Elizabeth really"

            "Oh trust me," Diablo said with a wave of her knife, it had somehow miraculously appeared again "If those things were hitting on you, you would have shot them too." Bootstrap guffawed in his goblet of wine. Yes he remembered what a couple of those poor young blokes looked like

            "There was one that wasn't all that bad my dear, he was young, about your age and thought you were the town sword smith's daughter, he wanted to court you didn't he?"

            "Well to his credit he didn't get shot."

            "Tell me dad, what happened after you bought that ship?" Will said diverting the subject matter. Right now he felt bad for the commodore if Diablo really took an interest in him, forget the commodore shooting her, he was the one that was going to get shot. 

"Well like I said I had bought the ship, it was not quite as grand as this one now, but I had my hopes, I had a good crew and I set sail in the day after I bought the ship. It was in good condition but it was nothing like _the _Pearl_ so I set about trying to garner more money so I could afford a better ship, I would need one if I wanted to get across the ocean to see you and your mum again. So I started to visit different ports that lined the shores. It was going fine until one afternoon I discovered a little stowaway that was eating the food and not doing her share to keep the ship" _

Diablo waved 

"That would have been me"

"At first it just looked like a scruffy little boy, until she stood up and I got a good look at her and realized it was that girl at the flesh market, the one that killed those guards! At first I was tempted to toss her over board, but then again it's hard to find anyone who was that skilled with weapons at any age so I asked if she spoke English." Bootstrap smiled "Oh yes, she spoke the language, and knew every curse, insult and barb including some that I had never heard of as well. So I asked her if she would like to remain on the ship. She seemed to consider and then asked me what the consequences were. Consequences!" Bootstrap threw back his head and laughed "Can you imagine a ten year old…"

"Twelve year old…"

"Twelve year old even negotiating the terms of her survival, I swear I had the hardest time not bursting out in laughter, and she looked so serious that I think if I did those daggers of hers would have appeared again. So I didn't and we negotiated. This was a good ten years ago. A couple of months later we docked at a large port up near the thirteen colonies and I was able to ask around for news and see if I got any mail." Bootstrap smiled "I still had message places set up at certain docks from my ole _merchant_ days. I got the news there that Milady had passed away, and you were on a merchant ship headed for the Caribbean" Bootstrap wringed his hands and took out a handkerchief from inside his coat pocket squeezing it and twisting it around his fingers. "I set sail at once for the Caribbean, I barely had enough supplies to make it and I had absolutely no money at all. When I got there I asked for news of your ship." Bootstrap paused and swallowed. He paused again and looked up at his son "They told me it sank five years ago and whoever my informant was, he was about six years late with his information." 

Diablo took this time to leave sensing that the captain might want to be alone with his family for a while. She got up, patted the captain on the shoulder and left the quiet cabin shutting the door firmly behind her.

            "How's the Capt getting along with his son?" Diablo turned and was faced with the questioning faces of Rubens and Smith

            "Well enough" She said 

            "How are the new cannons?" _The Dragoness_ did more then just raid Elizabeth and Will's wedding, they also took the opportunity to steal a few cannons off the ships docked at Port Royal. 

            "We've got three more stationed on both the port and starboard sides, three more lining the stern and two more at the stem, we're ready for anyone and anything at this rate." Smith said

            "Yes, as long as we don't run into a hundred cannon warship." Diablo said ruefully

            "You mean the British ones?" 

            "But they only surround the Brits, they aren't anywhere near the Caribbean"

            "Who do you think is in control of the Caribbean right now?" Diablo asked. That stopped the two pirates.

            "The Brits" she offered.

            "Fuck"

            "Shit"

            "And I suppose they're coming after us now" Rubens asked scowling.

            "Does the Captain know?" Smith asked.

            "He's counting on it" Diablo said as she made her way to the helm where Marlow; ship's second mate was steering"

            "What's the Capt counting on?" He asked/

            "_The Black Pearl, The Interceptor and _The Dauntless_ following us." Diablo said picking up a telescope and looking through it ahead of her, they were almost at Tortuga, and at this pace would make port at dawn the next morning._

Marlow whistled.

            "Those are three ships that you do not want perusing you."

            "Oh but we do. I'm going to assume that Jack will be coming up first to meet us in Tortuga, and those two British ships will probably be over at Gongolan Island waiting for Jack's word so they can come and capture us." Diablo narrowed her eyes "Which is not going to happen." She looked over at the three men surrounding her, they were hand picked by her and the captain and everyone else on this crew were handpicked either by her or one of them, they were unquestionably the most loyal crew anyone could ask for. But then again they the four of them weren't exactly pirates.  

Marlow had been an assassin employed by his country and then left to die when he was captured. Bootstrap Bill had happened to be sacking the port where Marlow was kept and he had the luck of running into Diablo when she went up to the fort to pick out a few things for the Captain. She found him stretched out in the dungeons half dead and mad with fever. She ordered two of her men to free him and bring him onto the ship. She nursed him back to health and swore him in. Bootstrap had wanted Marlow and Diablo to get married, they both decided to ignore him. When asked why she helped him later on she simply said 

            "Intuition"

            Rubens and Smith were found together, they were brothers by blood and in a band of rebels that attempted to destroy as many British forts along the Irish Isles as possible. However during the night of one raid they were caught and sentenced to hang. Bootstrap Bill heard about their hanging and ordered Diablo to get them, she did, and they have been with Bootstrap ever since. And when asked why he decided to save two Irish rebels from the British noose he said

            "Oh, just a _gut_ feeling."

            Diablo looked at the three of them again.

            "I'm not going to be here for a few days; actually I might not even be here for a few weeks." The three of them looked at her startled.

            "I'm going to need you to look after the captain and make sure his children come to no harm, they seem to trust me now and will listen to you if you say you're under my orders."

            "You're going aboard their ship as a sign of good will aren't you?" Marlow asked. Diablo turned the telescope around her hands looking down at the way the glass and metal caught the light

            "Yes"

            "Why not send one of us?" Rubens asked.

            "No offense lass but you're going to be one woman against countless men," Smith said "How are we to be sure they'll be honorable?" 

            "You don't really think that stiff nosed snob of a commodore is going to protect you do you Diablo?" Marlow asked outraged.

            "I can protect myself darling, no need for the good _commodore to lift his perfectly manicured finger."_

            "But...." came three very heated arguments.

            "Gentlemen!" They stopped. She never called them that. "Tortuga will be upon us at dawn, I don't have to tell you what necessary arrangements have to be made do I?" She looked at them staring them each in the eye as though daring them to utter another objection

            "Get on then." The three of them turned back to work and Diablo headed to her cabin for a little bit of rest and to pack. It was going to be a very difficult month. 

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Author's note;

And I think I'll end it here, for those that might have guessed, YES the main pairing is Norrington and Diablo. But she's a pirate! Well, not quite. Hehehehe. And no Ingots are not Portuguese gold, but gold of a different place. And how does Bootstrap know about this gold in the first place? Well you're gonna have to stick around and find out. Review Please! 

Byes!


	7. Tortuga Straight Ahead

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

 Chapter 7: Tortuga Straight Ahead

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Disclaimer.....As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

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_Dragoness, Captain's Quarters_

            "Uh Dad, how could a man be six years behind in news if the ship I was on only sank five years ago?" Will asked trying to break poignant mood of the room.

            "Because any good informant will have news well in advance of anyone else."

            "Oh"

            Bootstrap smiled at Will weakly.

            "I think I was about to kill that stupid person for telling me. Went to a bar got drunk for a week, or at least tried to anyway. At that time Jack had not lifted the curse yet so I couldn't exactly get drunk now could I?" Bootstrap peered at his son.

            "Actually it was you two" He said pointing at Elizabeth and Will "that lifted the curse wasn't it?"

            "Well Jack did help" Elizabeth put in.

            "He helped keep Barbossa busy while I sealed the Aztec gold away."

            "Ahhh good, good, serves damn Barbossa right for marooning Jack on that island."

            "Speaking of which, why did you say to Jack that he and Barbossa shot you off in a cannon." Will asked. Bootstrap kinda scratched his head sheepishly.

            "Er…. Drama?"

            Will blinked at his father

            "Drama?" 

            "Well it wasn't for you my dear boy." Bootstrap said "First of all I had no idea you were there. It was for that blasted commodore, nothing like driving a military man mad by making him think I'm on some sort of vengeance streak."

            "But wouldn't that make him want to come after you even more?" Elizabeth asked "I've known the commodore my entire life, he's quite persistent."

            "Yes I was hoping that he was that kind of man." Bootstrap poured himself another goblet of wine. "Hope he chases Diablo with that kind of devotion."

            Will and Elizabeth both blanched.

            "You do know that the commodore doesn't actually like Diablo right?" Will asked

            "Actually I think he wants to hang her." Bootstrap said smiling. "Besides he also thinks that Diablo is a him, not a _her_ but he'll learn soon enough that it's a girl and all that will be rectified."

            Will blinked.

            "What do you mean he'll soon know that Diablo is a girl?"

            "Well I'm going to send her aboard the _Interceptor_ as a sign of good will."

            "You're going to do what?" Elizabeth's eyes nearly popped out of her skull.

            "He'll behead her for sure!" Will added. 

            "No he won't." Elizabeth snorted in an extremely unladylike manner, "He'll wait till he gets to Port Royal and _then he'll hang her because that's the proper way to do it. Until then he'll just lock her up in the brig with stale bread and water."_

            "Ah, good I was counting on that." Bootstrap said rubbing his hands together.

            "You were counting on Diablo being locked up?" Will asked. 

            "No, no, I was counting on him being a stickler for the law, that way it ensures Diablo's life. And since we'll still have you two on board with us they'll be forced to follow us in pursuit, ah fabulous!"

            Will blinked at his father.

            "You're daft."

            "Actually it's so mad that it's ingenious."

            The three occupants of the room once again turned their heads to the door to find Diablo there.

            "The only thing now is you have to figure out how in the world you're going to _communicate with the commodore while he's topside and you are locked away in the brig." Will said rolling his eyes. This was surely madness._

            Diablo and Bootstrap Bill looked at each other and smiled.

            "We already have that part taken care of." Bootstrap said.

            "And how exactly is that?" Will demanded.

            "I will simply tell the good commodore that I am a lady in waiting to a lady and that I must speak with him and ask a favor of him upon my lady's request."

            Elizabeth blinked at her

            "You're mad! He'll never buy it."

            "Oh but he will, he'll buy it hook, line, and sinker."

            Diablo walked over to the table and began to clean up the remnants of their meal.

            "The crew are a bit antsy, they aren't sure if we are going to stay true to their course, and they also seem genuinely concerned for you as well" Diablo glanced at her captain. "Perhaps it would be best….."

            "If I actually showed my face and had a chat with them?" Bootstrap asked cutting in. Diablo smiled.

            "You read my mind." 

Bootstrap snorted at her. 

            "Blasted girl, you'll be the death of me you realize. When the hell does a pirate captain explain his actions?" Diablo shrugged her shoulders and didn't answer but still had a bit of a lingering smile on her lips. Bootstrap took a look at that smile and blanched.

            "Ok, who did you tell already?" Diablo straightened and picked the tray up in her hands

            "Oh just Marlow, Smith and Rubens."

            "Then why do you even bother with telling me that I should make an appearance?" Bootstrap threw his hands up in exasperation. "They probably told the whole damn crew already." Diablo said nothing as she made her way to the door

            "Calm yourself Captain," She looked back at them. "I threatened to cut their balls off and stuff them down their throats if they uttered a word to the crew without your say so." Bootstrap took a good look at his first mate

            "No you didn't."

            "Nope I didn't, but you know I don't need to when it really matters." With that Diablo left the room again. Bootstrap Bill shook his hands. He looked over at Will and Elizabeth with a sheepish look on his face.

            "So son, how would you and your lovely wife to be like to meet the crew?"

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            _Interceptor_

            "Commodore!" Commodore Norrington looked up from his desk as he saw Lieutenants Gillette and Grooves approach his desk

            "Yes?"

            The two men walked toward him holding between the two of them a heavy container that did not belong to any part of the ship. In fact the design was so odd that Norrington was willing to bet that it was foreign.

            "And just what might that be you've got there?"

            "We haven't a clue sir" Grooves said. "We couldn't crack it open and the only thing that we found that might have been any sort of clue is this." He held up a small piece of paper with writing on it.

            "Latin I believe sir, however neither of us read enough of it to know what it says." Gillette said.

            Norrington took the scrape of paper in his hands and unfolded it. He could read Latin. What was on the note caused him to blink and reach into his left pocket. From there he produced a small golden key. 

            "Commodore?" Grooves asked.

            "Apparently this is the key that will open Pandora's box." Norrington said. Gillette shook his head confusedly

            "What do you mean sir."

            "The letter reads

                        _When you reach into your pocket a mystery you will find_

_                        A key A treasure, a curse and a bind_

_                        Here it's destination be, here it's dream lies_

_                        Here is where you will find, things of no other kind_

Then it promptly stops its rhyme to say

_Here is the key to Pandora's box, which if you haven't_

_                        found yet is located in place of a cannon on your lovely_

_                        ship. Which reminds me, didn't the Interceptor sink _

_                        just some time ago? And isn't it bad luck to name a _

_                        ship after one that sank?"_

"How positively cheeky!" Gillette exclaimed, Grooves stood next to him as baffled as Gillette was. Norrington cringed, who the hell told this person the _Interceptor sank. It was suppose to be a navel secret. In fact he had spent several months making sure that no pirate heard about this and even had another boat built to the exact specifications of the original __Interceptor. It would not bode well for anyone if those pirates thought they could blow up a navy ship that easily._

            " Indeed, it concludes by telling me that there will be more of an explanation once I've opened that box." Norrington looked at the key and then at the oddly shaped box. It looked more like a barrel then anything else. It was oval shaped and had strips of metal going around its sides to hold it together like any barrel would but its entire top was rounded and fashioned into on gigantic lock. At the very center of what looked to be a mind boggling eye sore of a puzzle was a very small hole for the golden key to go into.

            Commodore Norrington approached the box carefully, usually when something is called _Pandora's Box it does not indicate positive signs. He stuck the key carefully into the box and gave it a twist. _

            Immediately the top of the box began to twirl and change its shape. Within about a minute it formed the shape of a handprint. 

            "Commodore what is that thing?" 

            "Apparently it's a handprint" Norrington looked at it slightly puzzled. If it was a trap there was a chance that his hand would get chopped off. But then again why bother to set up such an elaborate scheme just to take off his hand? Norrington flexed both his hands unconsciously. He did not like the aspect that there was even a distinct possibility that he might lose them. Norrington frowned. Blast it all, here he was, a Commodore of the British Navy and he was afraid of a box. Bloody coward; his conscious called at him. However another part of his mind silently reminded him that he did not become a commodore because he was impulsive, and capricious in his ways, but because he thought things through and acted accordingly.

            "Commodore?" Grooves asked.

            "Oh what the hell." Norrington stuck his left hand, cause he would have hated to lose his right one, onto the handprint and pressed down. 

            The box's top immediately spilt into two and opened, folding its top down over the sides. What was inside the box astonished the commodore. It was a note encased within a red envelop that was lying on top of a mound of Chinese gold.

            "Ingots?" Commodore Norrington asked. His two junior officers looked at him confusedly.

            "Sir, what are ingots?"

            "Chinese gold," Norrington said holding one up for his men to see. They blinked at him

            "Why would someone send us a crate of Chinese gold?" Norrington asked as he reached for the red envelop that lay on top of the box. He opened it carefully, gingerly pulling out the sheets of paper within with infinite care. Inside he found two more pieces of parchment, both were written once again in Latin.

            _Dear Commodore Norrington,_

Norrington started at that, it was addressed specifically to him, 

            _I see that you have finally found the little care package that I have left for you._

_            Now you must be wondering why anyone would send a good upstanding _

_            officer of the British Royal Navy Chinese gold. Is it a bribe? Is it a trick? No. _

_            It is merely a request on behalf of my lady; whom seeks your help._

_            Why you? Because she believes you to be of a fine character and admires your_

_            persistence and fortitude when it comes to completing your missions. She also_

_            admires your attitude regarding the other aspect of your life, and mannerisms. _

_            The Chinese gold, Ingots, as they are called are yours to keep whether you _

_            wish to use it to line your own pockets or furnish the British Royal Treasury, _

_            it is of no concern of ours. _

_            However, whatever your decision might be I ask that you allow me to speak_

_            to you face to face when we meet. All that I ask is that you listen to my lady's_

_            request. _

_                        I thank you for your time and hope to see you soon_

_                                    Diablo_

_                                    PS. Included are directions to the __island_ of ___Gongolan__, _

_                                    which is where Jack undoubtedly asked you to meet_

_                                    him. He will be escorting me to you. _

            "Diablo?" Norrington echoed, that name sounded annoyingly familiar.

            "Sir?" Grooves asked. "Isn't that the man whom the masked pirate captain told to kidnap Elizabeth?"  

Norrington blinked. It was also the sneaky little bastard with the odd fighting style that knocked him out. _Twice! _ If Diablo was a servant to a lady then he would propose to the bastard and marry him when all this was over. Norrington snorted. Not the bloody hell likely. If Diablo wanted to meet with him then meet Diablo he will. Norrington was vaguely intrigued as to what the pirate wanted to say to him, and why it was so important that he would risk his own life planning and then setting into place this elaborate scheme.

At that moment another sailor broke into the commodore's office breathing heavily and looking a bit panicked 

            "Commodore Sir.!" He saluted, "I'm sorry sir but I fear we've just lost sight of the Black Pearl sir."

            "Yes," Norrington said, slowly. He looked up at the sailor as he unfolded the second piece of the paper from the red envelop. "No matter though," He studied the parchment in his hands. "Have them stay true to their course and when we reach The Black Mouth have the ship head 12 degrees north from our current path and keep to that path until we reach our destination. 

            "But Commodore, we don't know where Tortuga, much less Gongolan is!" Grooves exclaimed.

            "We do with this map." Norrington said laying it upon the table so his lieutenants could inspect it.

            "But Commodore?" Gillette asked. "Is this safe?"

            "It seems," Norrington said resignedly "To be the only choice that we've got." He turned to look at the two lieutenants.

            "Go plot the course and prepare yourselves. It seems to me that at this rate we'll be at Gongolan within the next two days."

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Author's Note;

            Ahhhhh, it looks like Diablo is finally going to meet the lovely Commodore Norrington, who seems to be so much  _fun._ Randomly has anyone seen a picture of Commodore Norrington without his wig? He's quite sexy, and he's not that much older then Orlando Bloom either! Woot! Wonder if Commodore Norrington will make it into the second movie, hmmm I do hope so, and I hope they make him take his wig off somehow. Hehehehe Kindly review if you please! Now to scheme up a sex……er meeting scene between the two ahem, er, _lovebirds_

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	8. Flesh dealers of the Past

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

 Chapter 8: Flesh dealers of the Past

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Disclaimer.....As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

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_Dragoness_

            "Gentlemen!" Diablo called over the commotion of men scurrying about to get their work done. They all looked up. Why the hell was she addressing them as _gentlemen? _

            "Must be a new way to unnerve us" Smith said.

            "If she can unnerve us just with that imagine what will happen when she meets that lobster back." Rubens chuckled.

            "I can imagine exactly what will happen when I meet that lobster back." Diablo said, standing right behind Smith and Rubens. They both turned around with the most innocent looks on their faces.

            "And for the record darling" Diablo said gentling running her finger down Smith's cheek and up Ruben's. "_His_ coat is a lovely shade of _blue_, just like your faces will be if you don't shut up."

            "Madam yes Madam!" They both said in mock British accents and salutes, which was quite funny considering that they were both Irish.

            "Don't you go yes Madaming at that woman, the last thing she needs is an even bigger head on her shoulders." Bootstrap Bill came out of the cabin with Will and Elizabeth behind him. The whole crew on deck turned and looked at them. They hadn't seen the captain for about two days. All he did was stay in his cabin and talk to his son.

            "Gents" Bootstrap said making his way over to the helm, Will and Elizabeth close behind. "This is my son and his lovely, lovely wife Elizabeth." 

            "So everything is ok between the two of you?" A pirate from Bootstrap's left called

            "Everything is worked out just fine."

            "And they ain't too pissy about their wedding being crashed an all?" another pirate asked.

            Bootstrap considered this, then turned to look at his son

            "You pissy about that son?"

            "Er….." 

            "We don't mind at all." Elizabeth cut in, always being the diplomatic one. "I'm sure my father would just jump at the chance of planning a second even bigger wedding."

            "And I'm sure that father here" Will added in patting Bootstrap's shoulder "would be more then happy to help furnish the second one." Bootstrap looked at his son.

            "You two planning to send me the wedding bill aren't you?"

            "Yes." 

 Bootstrap threw his hands up

            "Fine, but I'm only paying 20%."

            "50%" Will said

            "25%" 

            "50%"

            "35%"

            "50%" Will said "It's only fair cause you ruined the first one."

            "Yeah _dad_" Elizabeth said. "You ruined my perfect and once in a lifetime day" The crew chuckled

            "But you found a father in law!" Bootstrap proclaimed.

            "I don't think they're all in a huff because of the wedding _day, it's the _wedding night_ that they really miss." Diablo added in lazily raising the telescope to her eye again sighting over the water and horizons. It was just about 5 o'clock by her calculations. The crew laughed heartedly, a couple of them made their way over to clap Will on the shoulders as if commiserating and Bootstrap nodded._

            "So that's why they were so grumpy!"

            Will and Elizabeth turned bright red. 

            "Aww the poor lad must be itching to get his hands on some of that!" Rubens exclaimed slapping his knee.

            "Methinks the bride is itching to get pawed too dontcha think eh eh." Marlow said elbowing Rubens. Smith whistled.

            "Let's see yer give the little lady a kiss!"

            "Let's say you scoundrels listen to what I have to say and quite screwing around with my son" Bootstrap shut them up. Then he winked. "Young Jr. here wants to be screwed by something other then the likes of you!" The whole crew was rolling. Will was trying not to strangle his newly found father and Elizabeth was hiding her face and ears in Will's chest refusing to look up.

            "Down to business boys!" Bootstrap suddenly shouted over the hubbub. "Now you all know about the gold right?" He was met with hollers of affirmation.

            "And you all know this is the big one right?" Bootstrap looked them all over.

            "Now before I had found my son, we all know what was going to happen right?" He was met with more nods and hollers of agreement.

            "What?" Will asked his father

            "Oh, we were going to kidnap Miss Swann here and hold her for ransom and force Norrington to chase after us." Will suddenly looked very angry at his father.

            "You were going to threaten Miss Swann." He accused. His father cocked his head to the side.

            "I thought you called her Elizabeth."

            "Does it really matter?" Diablo asked from behind the wheel "Get on with the blasted explanation already." 

            "Well yes, you see son we needed the extra firepower."

            "You needed to get attacked?"

            "No."

            "Then?"

            "Then let the bloody man explain Will!" Elizabeth shouted at her fiancé "Honestly sometimes you talk to much." Will cocked his head in a perfect imitation of his father just moments ago.

            "Just last week you couldn't get enough of my _talking_" Elizabeth's eyes widened and she turned scarlet sending the entire crew into hoots and hollers again.

            "Anyway" Bootstrap interjected "As you all know, we were going to kidnap my dear daughter in law here, which would have sent the _Interceptor and the _Dauntless_ into pursuit and then I would have sent dear Diablo over there" Bootstrap waved at her, and she smirked back at him "I would have sent dear Diablo here, over to negotiate good will, and the borrowing of cannons so to speak." The crew all chuckled at the word borrow "However you must all be wondering what are we going to do now that the girl is my daughter in law and her husband is my son, it's really quite simple, in fact it makes my life easier. Now it'll be much easier to explain to that stick up the ass commodore that we mean dear Miss Swann no harm. Not only that we have an added bonus that I'm sure many of you had seen at Port Royal's harbor." Bootstrap Bill paused here for effect. _

"Right now gents, _The Black Pearl is also pursuing us. Upon invitation of course, and she along with those lobster backs will help us obtain our goal!"_

            The crew cheered. 

            "All right you scumbags quit lollygagging around here, you know what has to be done, and if I even find one thing out of place I'll tan your hides with whips made from your own fucking pelt!" And with that Bootstrap dismissed his crew. He turned over to Diablo

            "You all packed and ready?" Diablo peered at him sideways

            "You really needed to ask?" 

Bootstrap chuckled "They're not gonna know what hit them."  

            Will and Elizabeth made their way back to the captain's quarters with Bootstrap, leaving Diablo at the helm. 

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            "What are you going to hit them with?" Will asked his father once they got back into the cabin.

            "Diablo" His father answered grinning. Bootstrap Bill walked over to one of the cupboards in his room and pulled out a well worn map of southern Europe. 

            "Come here Jr. I want to show you what we're looking for." Will cringed at his father's old nickname for him.

            "Dad, don't call me Jr."

            "Oh why not, that's you're name isn't it?" Bootstrap said. "William Einan Turner Jr." He said while jabbing his finger at Will. 

            "Why couldn't you just stick to calling me son." Elizabeth giggled. "I think that when we have kids we should name our first son that, then you can taunt him by calling him Jr." Will shuddered, although whether it was the due to the thought of the name or the thought of kids one could not tell. Bootstrap drew their attention over to the map that he had spread out on the table.

            "Now here is a lovely little spot called Spain" Bootstrap Bill said pointing low on the map. "And the lovely little spot next to it is called Portugal. Now here" Bootstrap said pointing to a spot marked in red close to the city of Lisbon "Here is a wonderful river known as the Tagus River. Both the Spaniards and the Portuguese use this port to ship things in and out of their countries." Bootstrap chuckled. "Actually this is the one place that the Portuguese have a lock on and it drives the Spaniards crazy because it's such a useful port. However up here." Bootstrap pointed to a place several miles above the opening of the Tagus "Right here, almost parallel to the city of Santarem is a lovely little cove that nobody knows about. It's been sheltered off by rocks and torrid winds and unusually heavy fog. Here my boy, hidden behind all that danger and stone is a fortune beyond belief." Bootstrap's eyes gleamed and he looked up smiling at his son. "It's my retirement fund, and yours if you ever want to give up being a blacksmith early on." Will looked skeptically at his father.

            "If no one knows about it then how do you?" Bootstrap looked his son over.

            "Do you know anything about pirate stories or what?" Will blinked at him.

            "I think you have me mistaken with Elizabeth." Bootstrap shook his head

            "My own boy, ignorant of all the best pirate stories and whatnot" He looked up and stared at Elizabeth "Tell me that you know the tale of the Chinese duchess that was sent to marry the Portuguese king." Elizabeth blinked.

"I know that story, but it's extremely vague. Years ago the Portuguese King disguised himself and went to explore the Far East. One day when he was visiting China he happened upon a man being attacked by several bandits. He couldn't let the man fend for himself so he ended up helping him fight off the bandits. The man was pleased and invited the Portuguese King back to his home. The man happened to be a Duke of China and at that time his wife was pregnant with his daughter. In gratitude to the Portuguese King the Duke offered his unborn daughter as a bride. The Portuguese King upon seeing the Duke's other children and the beauty that all his daughters possessed agreed happily and made arrangements to have the girl travel by ship to marry him in twelve years. However the Duchess was not happy about letting her daughter go so she took the child of a villager and sent her aboard the ship instead. The ship that she sailed on sank, taking the girl and her vast dowry and wealth that was sent with her down into the ocean."

"Right and Wrong!" Bootstrap Bill cried happily.

"They did not sink to the bottom of the ocean." He winked at them "It was also not a plain village girl that they sent to meet the King. They had another Chinese lord's daughter go instead for exchange for the Duke's silence about the lower lord's wife's past." Bootstrap grinned at her. "The girl went with a dowry that could ransom ten kings so says legend. The Duke was wise enough to provide more then enough money to prove her background, and her own parents which were also rich provided her with an ample dowry as well. Not only that, she supposedly went with the signet of the Emperor of China himself, you see, if this marriage went well, it would have formed an alliance between the two nations. However," Bootstrap continued wagging his finger at the two enthralled people in front of him. 

"However somebody did not want this alliance to happen. Somebody who knew the course that her ships would sail, somebody who knew the weaknesses and strengths of the army that came with her. Somebody who knew exactly how to attack the small bridal fleet of twelve Asian ships."

            Elizabeth looked at him horrified.

            "But who would attack a bridal fleet."

            "Pirates would, but it wasn't pirates that got to her, it was the flesh dealers."

            Will sneered, he knew about them, they were the worst of worst scum on the earth. They searched the lands looking for young defenseless people, stole them away from their families and sold them into slavery. He drew Elizabeth closer into his arms. She looked up him noticing the angry expression on his face. She reached up and touched his cheek gently. 

            He turned his head and kissed the inside of her palm smiling at her is if to reassure her of her safety. Bootstrap smiled at the two and continued with his story.

            "The flesh dealers were headed by a man called Hessian, they attacked her on all sides taking down two ships with them, however the Chinese ships had the advantage of being narrow and fast. Faster then the Russian ships that the flesh dealers had anyway. As I said before, there were twelve ships in that bridal fleet. Ten of them escaped. Most unfortunately though Hessian was smart and he stole a Portuguese ship and sailed it along the same path that the ten Chinese boats disappeared at hoping to fool the bridal fleet into thinking that he was a friendly ship. It worked, two of the bridal fleet came out to greet them." Bootstrap Bill sighed and shook his head, his face sneering in disgust.

"What happened was a blood bath. Everyone was either slain or sold into slavery. He left very few alive, in the end the only people left were women that he deemed pretty enough to live. That and the bride who was a Duchess in her own right of course. He wanted to keep her, she was very, very pretty. When his crew was done killing and destroying he searched the two ships from top to bottom, stem to stern, but he didn't find any gold."

            "He didn't find any gold? But?"  Will asked.

            "He didn't find any gold because the bridal fleet had loaded whatever people they had left onto the two boats to go and greet the Portuguese."

            "Why did they do that? Where they suspicious of the ship?" Will asked.

            "No, they weren't" Bootstrap said sadly, "They were all too trusting. You see the young bride was a kind and sheltered girl and she wanted to get all her people safe before going back to get her gold. Unfortunately she fell into Hessian's trap."

            "How did he react?" Elizabeth asked fearfully.

            "Hessian was furious. He grabbed the young bride and threatened to kill her and all the remaining maids if she didn't tell him. She responded by drawing a knife she had hidden in her bodice and stabbing herself declaring that now he didn't have anything to bargain with. When Hessian got over the shock that his leverage was dying at his feet he realized that all the maids were starting to do the same and he had his men take whatever weapons they had away from them and lock them below in the brig. However before they could grab them all one of the maids jumped overboard and escaped."

            "She escaped?"

            "Aye, and lived to tell me the tale."

            "Who is she?" Elizabeth asked.

            "Me" 

            Elizabeth looked over to the door and found Diablo with a bundle in her arms 

            "I was that maid that made it out of there. Hessian was actually very close to our hiding place. We were lucky that it was so foggy that he couldn't see the cove that was right in front of his eyes. We were lucky that we even found it. He was close enough that I could swim right back into our hiding place." Diablo looked away. 

            "I had never seen as much blood in my entire life as I had seen in that day. In the span of less then three hours that bastard Hessian had killed everyone, and my poor, poor lady who had the misfortune of being chosen as a substitute bride because of her looks died needlessly." Diablo looked back at them. 

            "I intend to retrieve her dowry, and use it to give her a proper burial as well as give it to anyone to would willingly hunt down flesh dealers. It was what my lady wanted" Diablo produced from her robes a folded pamphlet with Chinese markings on it. "My lady was an intelligent woman, she knew the dangers of the sea, she made a will before she died, and gave a copy to each of her maids. We were to carry them out if she died and didn't make it to her destination." She nodded toward Bootstrap "We have been hunting flesh traders for years now. A few years back we started to formulate just how we were going to get the gold without Hessian finding us." Will looked as his father

            "I thought you were just a pirate" He said lightly. Bootstrap shrugged and took out one of his wife's handkerchiefs again "I don't' like flesh dealers, and if I see one that just happens to be in my way I might was well _express my dislike."_

            "Unfortunately now it's not only Hessian that we have to deal with." Diablo walked over to the table, poured herself a drink and sat down. "There's also the Portuguese, you see they are sorry that the bride died, and they're supposedly sorry about the _Duke loosing his child, but they are most and probably only truthfully upset at loosing all that gold." _

"So right now not only do we have to fight off Hessian and his band of flesh dealers, we have to fight off the Portuguese Navy as well?" Will asked.

"And you think that we can do this with only four ships?" Elizabeth asked.

"You're mad." Will said

"No, no dear boy," Bootstrap cut in "It's quite ingenious. You see, Hessian's crew of five ships never sail together, so we decided that we would sack them one at a time until he has only one ship left and then we would go after the gold. Then not only will we have the makings of our own fleet, but we'll be better armed as well."

"But that remains the problem with the Portuguese." Will interjected.

"And how are you going to man all those extra ships?" Elizabeth asked. Diablo smiled. 

"Do you really think that the crew you see here is all that we have?" 

Elizabeth blinked at her.  

            "I don't understand."

            "Smith and Rubens were in a band of Irish… er… ruffians, they never lost contact with them, in fact they are suppose to meet us in Tortuga tomorrow at dawn." Bootstrap said.

            "Marlow still has many friends in all places from his days of being an assassin, they're more then willing to help him, and they are also meeting us in Tortuga."

            "I myself have invited my old friends from the _Black Pearl_" Bootstrap said proudly

            "And I am not without friends of my own." Diablo added smiling. "We'll have more then enough people sailing those ships."

            "Yes but will all those people fit on _these_ ships to get to _those_ ships?" Will asked.

            "Look at this ship my boy!" Bootstrap shouted. "We can take a crew three times this big and still sail faster then that goddamn British _Interceptor."_

            "And out race the _Black Pearl_." Diablo added. Will frowned 

            "Something about your plan doesn't make any sense." Will said.

            "What might that be?" Bootstrap Bill asked

            "When you're going off to sack Hessian's ships, why not take all five of them? And why would the lady give her last will and testament to her maids and not her bodyguards?" 

            "Ahhh…" Bootstrap beamed with pride, "I knew Milady raised a smart one." He turned toward Diablo, "He's no plank of wood now is he?"

            Diablo raised an eyebrow at him 

            "Well first of all we were her bodyguards. We were hand selected by my lady's mother to protect her daughter and then trained by my lady's father who was well versed in the art of fighting"

            Bootstrap nodded grinning 

            "I'm sure that Diablo here more then proved that to you back at Port Royal"

            Will grimaced, and Diablo turned back to Bootstrap Bill

            "So do you want to explain the embarrassing reason why we can't sack that ship, or do I get the honors?" 

            Bootstrap's smile faltered and he rolled his eyes.

            "We can't find the bloody ship." Will and Elizabeth just looked at him

            "You can't find it?" Will asked

            "Yep."

            "Why not?" Elizabeth asked

            "We don't know." Bootstrap said.

            "Then how do you know those other four ships are Hessian's?" Elizabeth asked.

            "They carry his banner, and have his love for bloodshed." Diablo said. "They are also piloted by his four former _lieutenants_ so to speak."

            "How do you know that?"

            "I've met them." 

            "If you met them how come they didn't recognize you?" Will asked. Diablo rolled her eyes

            "Please, they've only seen me once or twice, and besides I'm fifteen years older then when they last laid eyes on me. I think that would make recognizing me just a tad bit difficult." 

            "I guess." Will said. "What are you going to do about the last ship then."

            "Well, whenever and or if ever we see them, we're gonna have to confront them aren't we?"

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_The Black __Pearl_

            "Captain!" Anamaria shouted over the howl of the wind "Captain! Are you daft, why are we going at such a speed? We've outrun the _Interceptor_ ages ago" 

            "I know luv!" Jack said waltzing down from the helm with more of a swagger then usual.

            "I know." He said tapping his forefinger on her bosom and grinning at her.

            "Then why such speeds _Captain_?" 

            "Because, we have an appointment to make." And he swaggered past her

            "You're not really chasing after that masquerade ship are you?" Anamaria demanded

            "They swarmed us last time, and they actually have a ship faster then the _Pearl" Jack cringed at that. "You said so yourself." _

            Jack turned back to her 

            "Yes luv, I know that, but when Captain Jack Sparrow is invited to a party, he never misses an appointment savvy?" Jack began to hum happily singing something about really bad eggs. Anamaria just shook her head at him. 

Gibbs came up from below deck walking over to Anamaria.

            "So?" Anamaria looked at him

            "So what?"

            "So did you find out why the hell we're sailing like Diablo's after us?" Gibbs asked

            "Diablo is not after us, he's waiting for us." Jack called

            "What?" Gibbs asked "We're going to meet a demon?

            "No, Diablo." 

           "He means that weird creepy pirate that was standing next to the masked freak king." Anamaria translated for Gibbs. 

            "Oh" Gibbs nodded, "Wait, why we be doing that?"

            "Come now Gibbs, where's the sense of brotherly love?" Jack asked grinning ear to ear

            "What brotherly love, I've never laid eyes on the bastard my entire life."

            "Not Diablo, oh no no" Jack's smile grew even wider 

"William Turner Sr." 

            He was met by two blank stares 

            "Now Capt I know you were friends with the man but he's good and dead, you knows that."

            "That's what you think." Jack said.

            "You mean you didn't just say that to throw off that blasted commodore?" Anamaria asked "He's really alive?"

            "Oh yes luv" Jack smiled and walked into his cabin beckoning them to follow him with his forefinger. They followed looking at each other confusedly.

            Once they were both inside the cabin Jack locked the door behind him and grinned at his two confused crew members.

            "You see" Jack started waving his finger first at Anamaria and then over to Gibbs. "There is a little known fact about me and dear ole Bootstrap Bill. _Savvy? " He smiled at them flashing his gold teeth and walked over to a chair, propped his feet up on the table, folded his hands in his lap and nodded at them as if that explained everything. _

            "No, not fucking _Sazzy_" Anamaria snapped

            "_Savvy luv, it's __Savvy." _

            "No it's not, that doesn't explain a goddamn thing."

            "Oh but it is perfectly_ savvy_ and it does just a perfectly good explanation"

            Anamaria was about to throttle Jack. She turned around as she felt her shoulder be patted by Gibbs. 

            "Don't worry, he usually knows what he's doing."

            Anamaria gritted her teeth. "Where the hell are we headed anyway?"

            "Tortuga!" Jack proclaimed and Anamaria slumped

            "We were just at Tortuga."

            "I know luv" Jack winked 

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	9. Getting Closer

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

 Chapter 9 Getting Closer

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Disclaimer.....As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

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_Interceptor_

            Commodore Norrington sat in his office pondering the cryptic notes from the oddly shaped mechanical box. Said box currently sat next to him as open as it had been when he stuck his hand on it before. No one seemed to know how to close it. Groves had suggested sticking his hand back in it. Norrington had looked at him and asked if he would like to volunteer a hand this time. Groves shut up. 

            James turned his head toward his door sharply. Speaking of shutting up, what was all that noise outside his cabin? He got out of his chair and walked over to his door. As he got closer, James realized that there were only two voices that were making a disturbance outside his cabin. His first and second lieutenants. Well speak of the devil, he thought as he smoothly opened the door to reveal two very startled, very sheepish looking faces. 

            "Gentlemen is there anything I can help you with at this hour of the night?" James raised an eyebrow. "I thought you would have wanted to turn in at this hour and get some rest considering that we will be upon unfamiliar territory in twenty four hours."

            Both men fidgeted, looking at each other. Gillette finally spoke up

            "Permission to speak freely sir?" James glanced at one man then another, wondering if his ear drums were going to be bleeding by the end of this talk.

           "Yes I suppose, come on in," James walked back through his doorway leaving the door open for the two lieutenants. The two men walked in after him, Groves shut the door and bolted it behind him. James looked at him sharply. 

            "Is there a reason for you to do that Eric?"

            "James are you mad?"

            "Have you lost all your marbles?" 

            Both men came at him at once hounding him like those harpies he read about in Dante's Inferno. 

            "Did you see that box? It looks like it was carved by the devil himself!" James glanced at the box. Remarkably beautiful craftsmanship but he was sure devils could have done much better.

            "Forget the box, listen to that letter! It's positively mocking you." Indeed it was quite sardonic; most unfortunately it seemed to also have some kind of sick tone of seduction to it. 

            "Who told them about the Interceptor?" Jack Bloody Sparrow probably tipped them off.

            "Why in the world would you trust those instructions?" As if we had any other way of getting there in the first place. Besides it was highly doubtful that someone would go to such lengths to send him into a trap after handing over so much money and that flirtatious letter, oh God! James pressed his hands to his temples.

            "Oh for God's sakes, Michel, Eric, do shut up." Both men's eyes widened. Michel Gillette huffed and let out a soft curse in French, muttering under his breath about imbecilic pirates and equally imbecilic commodores that go after them.

            "Careful there Gillette, I do speak French you realize."

            "This is for your own good you know?" Groves said.

            "Yes, James, ever since you let Jack get away the first time you've been working yourself to death." Gillette sighed and tapped his fingers on his commanding officer's desk. "And don't give me that poor excuse about your dream of ridding the Caribbean of every pirate on its waters." Gillette leveled a glare at him.

            "It's Elizabeth again isn't it?"

            James sputtered,

            "Excuse me?"

            "It's the pressure of the wedding, and Jack Sparrow coming back, and then Elizabeth being captured again isn't it?" Grooves asked.

            "Oh come on man," Gillette threw his hands in the air. "We've been your friends for over seven years. You really think you could fool us?"

            "Now, Michel, I thought we weren't going to mention Miss Swann." Groves said tightly through clenched teeth.

            "Bugger Elizabeth, she's going to be the death of Her Majesty's marines. Every last one of them."

            "Does this conversation actually involve me or did you just need a big enough room to fit both your inflated heads into?" James sat with his head leaning back on his chair and feet propped up most uncharacteristically on his desk. His two lieutenants were also his two best friends yes, but they also had the worst habit of arguing like the worst of gossip monglers when something agitated them. He had to listen to these little spats at least once a month.

            "Spats, James?" Groves asked grinning a little. James cringed when he realized he had just said the last part out loud. 

            "If you would just be a little less inane about some things your ears wouldn't have to suffer as much." Gillette cut in. 

            "And what dare I ask have I been foolish about this time?"

            "That woman again." Michel Gillette huffed.

            "We see you James," Groves elaborated. "Helping Will Turner and making preparations for the wedding along with the governor, helping with the arrangements, For God's sake man, you would probably will the clouds away on their wedding day if you could." James smirked a bit at that statement. They thought he was here because of Elizabeth. No one seemed to believe that he had gotten over it. She would have, indeed made him a good wife, and they would have been a wonderful match. Yet he would have never had her heart, and what was the point of caging a person's body when her heart, perhaps even her very soul belonged to another. He knew that he might have never been a cuckolded husband, but he would have never been able to compete for her heart either. So he did the only sensible thing to do at the time and let go. His heart had dropped to his feet and twisted in pain, but at the same time a great burden was lifted off his mind. Always honor bond to do what was right, always seeing to others before himself. 

            "Would you believe that I gave chase for a different reason?"

            "No" came two simultaneously stubborn voices. 

            "Well I did."

            "And that might be?" Gillette asked skeptically.

            "Diablo." James said simply, moving his feet off his desk and sitting up straight again. "And do sit for heaven's sake."

            "Not until we've made our point." Gillette pressed stubbornly.

            "You have amply made your point. You believe that I am foolish, you think I am still in love with Elizabeth, and you think that I throw myself into work to forget my grief."

            "You do throw yourself into work to forget your grief."

            "In the past gentlemen, in the past." James waved his hand at the chairs in front of his desk again. "Are those chairs so uninviting?" Both Gillette and Groves frowned and sat.

            "Well besides the most obvious reason why on earth are we going at such inane speeds to a meeting with pirates?" Gillette asked.

            "That Diablo character intrigues me." James said. "He could very much give Jack Sparrow a run for his money." Gillette turned sharply at this.

            "He?"

            "Yes Michel, _he_"

            "The letter was signed by a woman though." James shook his head,

            "I had an encounter with Diablo. It's safe to say that I thoroughly believe that Diablo is a man. An assassin perhaps, his fighting style was nothing I had ever encountered before." He raised his head to glance at the two younger officers sitting before him. "Do you remember a particularly scrawny looking pirate standing next to the pirate captain?

            Gillette frowned but Groves's eyes widened.

            "You can't possibly mean that little demon in pirate's clothing." Gillette snorted at that comment

            "Remember the name Diablo?" Groves looked annoyed at Gillette.

            "Now what in the world would that thing want with our Commodore?" 

            "Apparently he wants to make my acquaintance," James said simply, although I don't buy that thing about him having a mistress for a second. Still there is naught else we can do now considering our circumstances. We still have to get Miss Elizabeth back, and Mr. Turner, and it's also our duty to hang those pirates that captured him."

            "And that Sparrow as well" Gillette said grinding his teeth at the mention of Sparrow

            "Indeed, now then gentlemen, if there is nothing else I suggest you both take to bed, it'll be a long day in the morning."

            "Are you going to sleep?" Gillette asked James raised an eyebrow 

            "No, not yet" 

            "Then what makes you think we're about to?" Groves cut in.

            "Call it a command" 

            "But."

            "Lieutenants!" Both men were immediately up and to attention, James inwardly breathed a sigh of relief to the fact that he was such a crazed workaholic that managed to outrank them for the time being, and to the fact that British military training was the best in the world.

            "Sir." They said in unison

            "As I had said previously it will be a long trip there, and undoubtedly an even longer one back, I suggest that you both get to bed. Dismissed"

            "Sir" They both saluted through grimaced teeth and left the room promptly. James swore he could here swearing coming from the other side of his door again. Yes it was going to be a long trip.

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_The Dragoness_

            "Land Ho!" Diablo strapped on the chest plate back over her chest, flattening out her breasts and widening her waist to make her look less like a woman and put on her mask. In a couple of her times in Tortuga she had appeared besides Bootstrap as a masked man, other times, well, Diablo grinned, other times she pretended to be Bootstrap's lover, so to speak. The masked man usually did not sit well with the other pirates and during the first couple of years had provoked attacks on her person and sometimes on the crew she sailed with. That died out once they found out that she could fight, actually it was more like they thought _he_ could fight. The lover, well, she was immediately and promptly written off and ignored. Which made her life easier when she needed to gather information. However this time, they needed to impress, specifically they needed to dissuade anyone that might have wanted to approach Bootstrap on this trip. The only people that Diablo wanted to see were the people that they had made arrangements with earlier on. 

            "Land Ho!" Diablo rolled her eyes, Yes I can hear you Rubens, for God's sake the _Interceptor_ a day's way back could hear you. She adjusted the folds of her tunic once again and checked in the mirror making sure her hair was bound up and most signs of her being female were covered up. She winced a little at the corset, unlike the regular corsets that most women wore hers was designed to flatten the breasts, not emphasize them. Diablo stretched once or twice to get used to the stiffness and once again checked in the mirror, this time to tie the bandanna around her head and make sure that no one could see the corset from under her tunic. Satisfied that what stared back at her from the mirror was as male as she could get Diablo left her room.

            She found Will and Elizabeth already out standing next to Bootstrap. Elizabeth's hair had been tied back and on her waist beneath the tunic she now wore a gun on her left hip and a sword on her right. Will Turner had his wedding sword slung around his waist, though it was obviously more fancy then what he usually wore, it also came with an extra sharp blade.

            "Now that wouldn't happen to be a Will Turner original now would it?" Diablo asked with a gleam in her eye. Elizabeth blinked at her

            "Well no, mine isn't  but, how did you know that Will made swords?" Diablo winked merrily at her from behind the mask.

            "It's a gift" Will shook his head at her, 

            "I bet my father told her."

            "And why are you wearing that?" Elizabeth continued "We all know you're a woman, and we all know what you look like."

            "But no one at Tortuga does, and I intend for it to stay that way."

            "You mean you have the whole of Tortuga believing that you're a man?" Will asked, "I thought you just said you had friends there, also isn't it a little conspicuous to be walking around with a mask in Tortuga, you'd stand out like a sore thumb."

            "That's the point." 

            "Wasn't this gold thing supposed to be secretive to begin with?" Will asked again, "You seem to be completely blowing our cover to me."

            "No Jr. surprisingly she's not." Bootstrap said coming up from behind Diablo with a huge grin on his face.

            "Don't. Call. Me. Junior." Will bit out. 

            "But that's your name" Bootstrap said.

            "Oh for God's sake, argue this later will you, we're pulling up to harbor now." Diablo said as she took the wheel from Marlow and proceeded to steer _The Dragoness_ in as the rest of the crew prepared the ship for docking.

            "Would you care to explain why she's decked out like a peacock?" Will asked sounding exasperated.

            "I become a peacock just because I have a mask on?" Diablo asked from the wheel "You do realize that peacocks are male don't you? Their counterparts, the peahens are quite plain in appearance and don't stand out at all. Since I am female, I should be a peahen, and then saying that I stand out would not make any sense at all because the female of the species is particularly bland looking." Will and Elizabeth just blinked.

            "Will you stop evading the question already" Elizabeth said.

            "The reason why we have Diablo dressed up is because we want to make sure that we'll be uninterrupted during our stay. Her reputation is usually enough to put off most of the common riffraff."

            "And how did she come by this reputation."

            "I killed anyone that stepped in my way the first few times that we docked in Tortuga, and mostly everyone thinks I'm an assassin for hire that Bootstrap brings on trips at times." Diablo turned the wheel lightly and Smith tied the ship off at the dock.

            "Any other time I just go as I usually am," Diablo smiled back at them "They call me Mara, and I'm your dad's personal love slave."

            Will cringed. 

            "I didn't need to know that." Diablo grinned at him 

            "Aww look, he's so adorable when he's blushing." Bootstrap laughed,

            "Just like Milady!"

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Author's Note; I realize that this was a particularly short chapter but I thought that it would be a cute way to end the chapter. Ten should be up shortly Please continue reading and reviewing Bye Bye!


	10. A Meeting of Old Friends

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

 Chapter 10 A Meeting of Old Friends

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Disclaimer.....As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

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_Tortuga_

            Bootstrap Bill sat in the back of a _The Lover's Isle_, a quaint little bar that was situated smack dab in the middle of Tortuga. It hosted all different kinds of drinks, everything from the cheapest lousiest ales to the finest hard liquors, and of course, there was rum.

            "Rum All around Betsy me girl!" Bootstrap yelled over the flurry of activity that was flying about. Diablo was sitting next to him, arms crossed over her chest, eyes closed. They had passed a couple of young hot shots on the way over. They, in good old pirate fashion had decided to let their balls do the thinking. Their leader was young, handsome, cocky and composed entirely of testosterone. He seemed to find Diablo in male form, offense. That was too bad, she would have found him interesting had she not been here on business. He walked by Bootstrap and shoved her, and she in turn ensured him eternal youth by making sure his body stopped aging, permanently.

            "This place is louder then the last one that I went to" Will muttered beside her, nursing his drink in his hands.

            "You've been to Tortuga?" Elizabeth asked accusingly. Apparently Will had not given her full details of how he had come to rescue her. 

            "Jack said we needed a crew" Will said sheepishly. 

            "Stop fighting," Diablo muttered just loud enough for the two of them to hear. "We have company." 

            Bootstrap, Diablo, Will, Elizabeth, Marlow, Rubens and Smith had come on shore as a group. Marlow, Rubens and Smith always appeared with Bootstrap. Will looked enough like Bootstrap to raise an eyebrow or two, but his appearance also made his station obvious. Elizabeth with a bandana around her hair and dressed up in full pirate gear also deterred many on lookers and questions that they might have had. It also helped that Diablo walked right beside her. 

            "Marlow" A snaky looking man with dark eyes and dirty blonde hair walked up and smiled "It's been a while my brother." Marlow broke out into a grin. He and the new fellow had both been employed by the government and then unceremoniously dismissed when caught. 

            "BC" Marlow stepped up and clasped the man on the shoulders, hugging him and thumping him heartily on the back. He turned back to the table where the lot of them sat and pointed at each of them in introduction. 

            "You know Bootstrap" Bootstrap smirked and tipped his cup at BC.

            "That there is his son; young Will, and his bonnie lass Elizabeth" Both Will and Elizabeth nodded in unison

            "How do you do?" they said simultaneously, good manners shining through and through.

            "These two scoundrels are…."

            "Smith and Rubens" BC finished for him "Yes we met last time. In fact I was trying to recruit their gang and I lost out to that chap sitting in between the Turner men."

            "Well then I take it that you know Diablo" Marlow said grinning. 

            "Good to see you again darling" Diablo purred, she didn't even bother disguising her voice.

            "It's always a pleasure to greet a lady who has killed more people then me"

            "In self defense though."

            "Horseshit and devil's balls." BC snorted

            "Both things that you would know about, wouldn't you?" 

BC laughed. Their second encounter had involved both, so to speak.

            "So would you demona, so would you." 

            Diablo smiled.

            A scraggly looking man came up to Smith and inclined his head.

            "They're on the outskirts, about a mile away, and they can all be ready to sail at noon tomorrow." He reported. He had a heavy Irish accent and red hair to match the voice. Smith looked over at Rubens and then at Bootstrap.

            "Capt, this is Russel, the man we told you about."

            Bootstrap inclined his head, and Russel nodded back.

            "Mind if we take off?"

            "Not a problem" Bootstrap said. "You know the meeting point"

            Both Rubens and Smith nodded and followed the scraggly man out. BC and Marlow watched them leave

            "He's the other crew?"

            "Him and his other compatriots, Smith and Rubens are providing two, you and I are providing another two, Diablo is bringing support, and Bootstrap is bringing both support and a full crew." Marlow said.

            "And don't forget Jack, We've got him bringing one as well."

            BC nodded. "Good, the more people we have, the more of them we can kill." BC had a long running grudge against the flesh dealers, although no one but Marlow could say why. And no one was willing to ask. 

            "Speak of the Devil." Will looked up and saw Jack Sparrow swaggering his way over to their table with the biggest grin on his face, an angry Anamaria behind him, and a cautious looking Gibbs following her. Bootstrap grinned. Elizabeth waved, Marlow, BC and Diablo just glowered. 

            Before Jack could even get a word in Anamaria pushed her way forward.

            "You pushed us to hell and fucking dale to meet these people."

            "Now, now, Anamaria luv, you're drawing attention to us."

            "Want me to get rid of it?" Diablo asked fingering a dagger that had somehow made its way mysteriously into her hand. 

            "Diablo….." Bootstrap began

            "Now that we're pretty much all here how about we get down to discussing?" Jack cut in. Anamaria glared, but sat down. Jack pulled up a chair and sat it next to Bootstrap who began to fidget with his handkerchief and Gibbs leaned in the corner next to Elizabeth.

            "Fist of all I want to know what's that little known fact about you and Bootstrap here?" Anamaria demanded. 

            "Oh darling, it's simply that me and ole Bootstrap here have known each other since childhood."

            Anamaria twitched.

            "Good to see you alive and well old man" Gibbs said to Will's father. Smoothly cutting in before Anamaria could say anything more. Bootstrap nodded and gave a slight grin, "I'm actually more relieved to see ole Jack alive and kicking." Bootstrap turned to Jack and began rather uneasily, "Now you know that…….."

            "Let's just say we'll let bygones be bygones and you can return those bygones by leading us to that by long gone treasure." Jack leaned into Bootstrap looking at him straight in the eye. "Besides, if it weren't for you Barbossa wouldn't have had so much pleasure to deal with for all those years. _Savvy?_" Bootstrap visibly relaxed and smirked.

            "Shall we get on with the plan?" 

            "Well first things first mate." Jack said rubbing his hands together.

            "And what might that be?" inquired Will.

            "Are you going to finish that rum?" Jack asked eyeing Bootstrap's mug rather lustily.

            "Betsy! Let's have another round!" Bootstrap yelled.

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_Three hours and many mugs of rum later_

            Jack blinked at Bootstrap, turned his attention over to Diablo who favored him with a slow and pompous grin that made him, no, no, her, look too much like a love child of Norrington and Barbossa for Jack to be comfortable. 

            "Are you bloody mad?" Jack finally managed to spit out.

            "Quite" was her reply.

            "You think that a bloody letter, and a girl and a bunch of gold is going to get bloody old stick up his ass Norrington to come chasing after us? You're practically turning him into a pirate. He wouldn't fall for it if he was permanently drunk!"

            "I could arrange that." Diablo cut in with a wave of her hand.

            "Diablo can be very persuasive" 

            "And the story you cooked up," Jack began, it's absolutely ludicrous, even I wouldn't fall for such a tale." 

            "You don't have to believe it," Diablo cut in "Norrington doesn't even have to believe it, he just has to believe in the gold and come fight."

            "He'd never"

            "He's already followed us thus far" Bootstrap began "He'll keep coming, we just have to dangle the right kind of bait"

            "Diablo?" Anamaria asked skeptically

            "Miss Swann and Jr. here." Bootstrap said. "Diablo is just there to make sure that he can keep up, not to mention garner some sympathy with the crew."

            "Garner sympathy with the crew?" Will asked. Gibbs eye's widened

            "You can't possibly do that, it's a downright horrible thing to do to a man, even if he is a naval bastard."

            Jack blinked, he was the only one that had ever experienced it. And the effects of it always induced pure gut wrenching, mind numbing anger. He looked Diablo straight in the eye. She met it.

            "If it does come down to that, do you think you can pull it off?" 

            Will and Elizabeth looked at each other confusedly. The atmosphere of the table had gone suddenly very quiet and dead serious. 

            "Yes" 

            Jack looked at her, his face hardening

            "Remind me never to take you aboard as a crew member." There was no laughter with this comment. 

            "She's perfectly loyal Jack" Bootstrap said softly.

            "Aye, but that woman's got her own plans"

            "And what woman doesn't?" Diablo cut in "Don't talk about me as if I'm not here Jack, I have done nothing that would make you suspicious of me in any nature." Jack looked at Diablo and seemed to take a second to just shake things off. 

            "Nope" He said, back to his cheerful self again, "No you certainly haven't"

            "So it's agreed then?" Diablo asked.

            "Yes, count us in." Jack said. Inwardly he was plotting the next chance he got to get Bootstrap alone and give him a good tongue lashing about Diablo. He wondered if she truly was the love child of his two greatest adversaries. Jack shuddered and downed his rum in one gulp, if this plan didn't kill them all, they would all be set for life. 

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_Aboard the Interceptor_

            Commodore Norrington stood at the helm with Gillette. He could see the tiny island from here; Gongolan. And he could also see the other island on the other side of it; Tortuga. Unlike Gongolan, Tortuga was brightly lit and festive. Gongolan had no lights on it at all, and it didn't look like it had a harbor for the ship to dock at either. 

            "Gillette, tell the crew to drop anchor as soon as we make it into that cove. We should be provided cover there from prying eyes and given the ability to defend ourselves should the need arise." He looked back in the direction that they had come from and raised his telescope to his eye. It was faint, and it was dark, but he could see a slight outline of _The Dauntless_ behind them. "Make sure the Captain of the Dauntless gets those orders."

            "Sir." Gillette saluted smartly and went to complete his tasks. He passed Groves on the way and the two of them shared a look. Their commanding officer was in one of his moods again. Groves shook his head and Gillette rolled his eyes. Though James protected his men with everything that he possessed he sometimes needed to slow down and relax, not to mention eat, or sleep, or act human for that matter. 

            "Sir, do you think that Diablo character will make contact with us tonight?" Grooves asked as he approached Norrington.

            "Doubtful, he'll probably make contact during the day tomorrow, sometime around sunrise I'd imagine."

            "Sunrise sir?"

            "Everyone in Tortuga are probably so drunk at that hour that no one would notice if someone just rowed out." Groves blinked. How does a man who never gets drunk think with the mind of an alcoholic?

            "Shall we stay up and wait for him then sir? I have the slightest feeling that he'll be coming with other people." 

            "Indeed." Norrington replied. "He'll probably show up with Sparrow."

            "Sparrow sir?" 

            "Yes, Sparrow, just for the simple reason that we are acquainted with him. I'm assuming that he's to act as the neutral party."

            "You can't be serious sir! Sparrow is clearly on their side, what if they surround us at night and fire upon us?" 

            "Doubtful,"

            "But sir," 

            "Stop fretting Eric." 

            "Permission to speak freely sir?" 

            "Denied, kindly go see to your other duties." Groves set his jaw and frowned but saluted smartly and obeyed.

            "Sir."

            James sighed, he understood Groves's concerns, he had them as well, but something about that letter, he didn't know what it was, and something about this situation. It went against all military training, common sense even, but, James sighed again. He couldn't even explain it to himself. He would have to wait and see, and as sad as it sounds, hope for the best.

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Author's Note; Ahhh another chapter is done. Short, yes, but we finally get to see some different people interacting. And character interaction is always a lovely part of the story. New chapter coming before the end of March and that's a promise. Until then Happy Reading!

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	11. Off to Meet the Commodore

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

 Chapter 11 Off to Meet the Commodore

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Disclaimer.....As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

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            Diablo was perched upon a cliff that looked over Tortuga, it offered her a good view of the small island that was a few miles away. The island that Commodore Norrington and his two ships should be at by now; Gongolan. They should have gotten there by last night. She looked up and out at the sunrise. It was lovely, Caribbean sunrises were always pinker then others. The sky started out black, and then slowly a delicate weave of pinkish yellow light would stretch itself across the dim, like finely spun lace. This would be followed by hues of deeper red that would eventually fade to a deep orange and then end with a magnificent yellow; bright and glowing. Nothing in this world could match that color, not even the Golden Robes worn by the Emperor of China. Diablo frowned as she often did when her thoughts turned to her homeland. It's not as if she never went back, she visited her country often, but never her home. It was a love hate relationship, at one point she wanted to go back because her home represented everything that she had loved in the past, and had taken for granted. But then, she also knew that she could never go back to what once was, and it would not bode well to dwell upon lost things. 

            "Bee in your bonnet lass?" Diablo looked up to see Jack Sparrow making his way up the hill and toward her. She wondered if Bootstrap had told Jack about this place, or if Jack had just followed her the night before. She came to this hill often when they were in Tortuga, and she and her captain had finished making their rounds. It was tall, and steep, dotted with big rocks and slippery edges that would deter a less eager climber. Diablo was very eager; for silence and solitude that was. And no place but this hilltop offered that. She bet that Bootstrap told Jack that she would be here in the morning. She also bet that Jack followed her here last night as well. Diablo, for all her love of creature comforts, (what woman doesn't love them?) sometimes found herself craving a wide open space. Diablo eyed the drunken captain as he made his way past a particularly slippery pass and plop down on a rock less then two feet away from the one she was currently perched on. He didn't say anything, and she didn't seem inclined to talk either. Both studied each other as the sun fully rose into the sky and light greeted the new day. 

            "Cat got your tongue as well?" Sparrow finally spoke.

            "Why the forced civility Captain?" Diablo began. He was not the only one that did some sneaking around last night. She too, did her share of spying. Immediately after Bootstrap had dismissed everyone for the night she left, nodding to Bootstrap. He knew she was going up on her hill. But she didn't head there immediately like she usually did. Instead Diablo doubled back and followed as Bootstrap and Jack made their way out of the tavern and into a deserted ally way. For on thing, she was worried about her captain. Bootstrap had told her the history of _The Black Pearl_ and about the mutiny, and through the tales that traveled throughout the Caribbean over the past five years or so, she had pretty much picked out what happened to the mutinous crew of that ship. What she wanted to know was if Jack intended to seek revenge against her captain the same way that he had sought revenge against Barbossa. Luckily for Jack that had not been the case, otherwise his crew would have found his guts hanging on their mast come the morning. 

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            "I don't trust that woman" Bootstrap looked at his old friend and shook his head

            "Come now Jack, I don't think you're giving her enough credit. She's really not a bad person once you get to know her."

            "Bollocks" Jack staggered around the ally and waved his bottle at Bootstap heatedly "Did you even hear what she suggested? Huh? Did you hear that? Did you know that she was planning it?"

            "Aye," Bootstrap said softly, "But she wouldn't use it, I know that for a fact, Diablo dear's got a way with people………."

            "MUTINY BILL!" Jack bellowed "God be dammed thrice blasted mutiny" Jack snorted, "As if Norrington's men could ever be swayed, they would let her cut off all their thumbs first."

            "If you know that they can't be swayed then why worry?" Bill looked at him quizzically. 

            "Because a sailor with mutiny on his mind is a traitorous shipmate _savvy_?" 

            "She won't betray us Jack." 

            "That's what you said about Barbossa." Jack shot back. 

Bootstrap Bill stiffened. It was true that he was the one that had swayed Jack into bringing Barbossa. Jack had always trusted him when it came to judging people's characters. 

            "I'm sorry Jack, I realize that was entirely my fault, I, I judged his character poorly, and that crew." Bill took out his handkerchief and began twisting it again. 

            "They seemed too perfect to be real, I should have known, and I didn't." Bootstrap looked down at the handkerchief in his hands and straightened out the wrinkles lovingly. "Did I ever tell you the story of these handkerchiefs?" Jack looked up at him from his bottle of rum. 

            "Milady."

            "Yes, Milady, they're made out of her petticoats, each one different. Two of them were from her wedding gown, two of them from her maternity clothes, and two of them from the dress that she wore on the first day that we met." Bootstrap Bill looked up at Jack. "I know that you paid the greatest price of all, and I'm sorry for it, but I paid my price as well, I lost my beloved Milady, and I had lost my son as well."

            "But now you found dear William again now didn't you?" Bootstrap grinned wryly

            "That's also thanks to you I hear." 

            "Yes, well I suppose I also got back what I lost as well." Jack grinned at his old friend. "That boy of yours got the common sense of a concrete block. Not even Norrington could drill any into him."

            "What does Norrington have to do with my son?"

            "Well you know all about Will stealing the commodore's bride don't you?"

            "Yes, yes, it was on the lips of every sailor and every pirate of the Caribbean for a month."

            "Well apparently our dear William here made his way over to the Commodore's place after becoming a big ole uppity blacksmith/ official supplier of His Majesty's Royal Navy's weapons and asked the stiff neck to teach him the proper etiquette and behaviors that were expected of a high society gentleman. _Savvy_"  

            "You're bloody pulling my leg." Jack shook his head at Bootstrap.

            "And Norrington agreed?" 

            "Not only agreed, fully took the boy under his wing, in Will's words he was treated like a little brother."

            "Bollocks."

            "That's what I said. Anyway, apparently our dear commodore took it upon himself to teach Will all matters of important gentlemanly things, books and all. Had Will reading Plato at one time even."

            "My boy………….a scholar." Bootstrap's eyes crinkled and lips pulled up in a lopsided grin, "Milady would be beside herself."

            "Now, now I never said he was a scholar, but he did get enough of a crash course so that he could stand up for himself in society, but anyway we're getting off topic, the point is, after months of being intellectually drilled by Norrington, he still hasn't got much common sense." Bootstrap rubbed the back of his head and the lopsided grin became an lopsided grimace.

            "You've got a bit of a point there." He rubbed his jaw in contemplation. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know Norrington's background would you? For such a well known naval bastard, he sure keeps his history well hidden."

            "He's a son of a Marquis of some sort I think?" Jack said rubbing his head, "Some sort of uppity lord stiff." 

            "Well doesn't that make him a lord?" Bootstrap asked looking suddenly more interested then a man who was just mourning his wife should have looked. 

            "No, that makes one of his brother's a lord, another a wealthy land owner, and him a pampered brat." Bootstrap's face fell.

            "That bastard has nothing?" 

            "Oh I'm sure he has something, he's damn rich and it ain't all from home if you get my drift." 

            "Ah……….. Good." Bootstrap said after a moment of silence. "It's good to know that he earns his own living." It was Jack's turn to look over sideways at his friend.

            "How's that?" 

            "Diablo"

            "Her again, that reminds me, you absolutely under no circumstances can trust that woman, she's got plans of her own I tell you, and the second she sees a way to fulfill them, Bam she'll leave you in Norrington's hands to rot."

            "I'm already helping her fulfill her plans."

            "See, you're already under her spell." Jack slugged back another swish of rum. 

            "Now Jack, like I said before Diablo and I go back, I know she's not out to scam me, or you for that matter."

            "She's hiding something." Jack paced the ally building up speed, momentum and agitation as we went

            "I know"

            "Ah Ha!" Jack pointed a finger knowingly at Bootstrap.

            "I also know what it is."

            "Eh?" Jack stopped mid stride. He made his way over to the sitting man. "Well let's have it then, what's the big secret."

            "Can't tell you." 

            "Why the bloody hell not?" 

            "It would bring her harm."

            "Bill how bad could it possibly get? We're a bunch of escaped convicts, murders, and pillagers and we're _inviting_ our worst enemy, that blasted long handed arm of the law Norrington, to come join us for a romp of a tea party. What could possibly bring more harm then that?" Bootstrap stood up and patted his old friend on the back, and walked back to the inn they were planning to spend the night at. 

            "Just trust her Jack, she has suffered more then you'll ever know."

            "What you mean that cooked up story?" Jack asked yelling after Bootstrap. Bootstrap didn't reply. 

            Jack grumbled something about foolish old men and tipped back his bottle again for another swig only to find it empty. 

            "Blast"

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Bootstrap Bill let Jack yell after him, he was not in the mood to reply, besides right now nothing would convince him that Diablo was not going to pull a mutiny on them. He could present thousands of facts and site thousands of instances and they would all be for nothing. He ran his hands through his hair, still dark and thick after so many years. Right now he needed to get back to his ship, he was willing to bet that his son would be there and he would want some answers about the conversation that took place at the bar tonight. His predictions came true, the second he stepped onto the boat his son and future daughter in law came out to greet them.

            "What was Jack so angry about?" Will asked as soon as he reached his father

            "What's Diablo planning on doing?" Elizabeth added.

            "Well obviously she's going to talk to your dear friend Norrington."

            "Don't take us for fools, that won't set Jack off, if anything Jack would be rooting her on cause he knows that Norrington will be driven to his wits end by Diablo. Now tell us What Pissed Him OFF?" Elizabeth's voice reached new heights of volume and exasperation that had never before been achieved by humans. She also managed to greatly scare her father in law. Will just smiled gently and put an arm around her shoulders. 

            "I think that we should finish this conversation in our room don't you think my love?" Will smiled as he gently pulled Elizabeth towards him, loosening her stance a little. "Besides, I don't think it's good for a pirate crew to see their captain so stricken." He whispered lightly in her ear. 

            Elizabeth huffed and settled her hands on her hips. 

            "Er yes," Bootstrap began cautiously. Sheesh it seemed as if Diablo was rubbing off the girl. The three of them all made their way over to Will and Elizabeth's cabin, it was going to be a long night full explanations and questions with no end. Bootstrap was not looking forward to it. 

            "Well," Bootstrap began when they had all sat down, "To answer your first question Jack was angry because he didn't like Diablo's back up plan that she was going to use in case her first plan, which you know about, fails."

            "Yes that's a given but what's the second plan." Elizabeth asked.

            "Oh you know, she was just going to stay on board his ship and win over some followers, maybe ask for them to er, _speak_ on her behalf and so on and so forth."

            "Speak on her behalf?" Will asked skeptically.

            "Something that only Jack has experienced……." Elizabeth's eyes widened as her voice trailed off.

            "She wouldn't?" She asked Bootstrap, who merely nodded

            "Wouldn't what?" Will asked looking at Bootstrap

            "But that's terrible!" 

            "What is?" Will turned his head to Elizabeth

            "I mean there has to be some other way, besides it's not as if the men will do that to him."

            "Do what?" he asked again

            "I know! I'll write him a note, a letter, ensuring that we're all ok, and that he should follow us because it will be good for the Crown , or some overly patriotic nonsense like that" This really got Will confused.

            "Overly patriotic nonsense?" 

            "Yes, Yes, um, paper, yes, that's what I'll need, oh and a quill….." Elizabeth was still muttering to herself as she got up and started scurrying around the room to obtain said items. 

            "Dad," Will began eyeing his wife to be with concern in his eyes.

            "Yes son?" 

            "What's wrong with her?"

            "Well my boy she's been taken over by an infliction that women will sometimes have since the dawn of time."

            "And that is?" Will asked sounding very worried.

            "Meddling." Will blinked at his father. 

            Bootstrap sighed, "It's like this son," And with that he proceeded to explain to Will exactly what Diablo was planning as a backup, and exactly what Elizabeth was planning to do to interfere. When he was finished, much to his chagrin, Will agreed whole heartedly with his wife and immediately sat down to help her write that letter. He sighed in exasperation. It seemed as if no one trusted Diablo's abilities tonight. For that matter nobody seemed to believe what he himself saw with his own eyes. Commodore Norrington liked Diablo, it was like she was some sort of enigma for him to study, and he doubted that he would really bring Diablo any harm. Whether he believed her to be a pirate or not. 

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Diablo had watched the exchange between the two men and made sure that no one else heard it. She knew that Bootstrap had felt guilt for Jack's fate before but until tonight hadn't known that the guilt was so great. She sighed. She knew that Bootstrap could be trusted with her secret but for a spilt second there she thought that he just might say something to give her away. Diablo was pulled out of her thoughts by Jack's voice.

"If we're to work together we should be civil toward each other despite our differences don't you think?"

            "I think that we should get this thing settled." Diablo looked straight at Jack. Their eyes were almost the same color, give or take a shade or two. 

            "We don't have time for that."

            "On the contrary, we have quite a bit of time."

            "Are you always this bullheaded?" he asked.

            "Are you always so charming?" she countered.

            "All right then. You want to be blunt, I'm going to be perfectly honest with you. I don't like you, and I don't like the way you look. You look like an assassin, and I'm pretty damn sure if I paid you enough money you'd kill whoever I asked."

            "Oh no need to pay me Jack darling, since you're such a good _friend_ the first one's one me." 

            "Don't try to charm your way into anything, just let me make one thing clear." Jack got up from his rock and walked over sober as ever to the rock that Diablo was perched on and tapped her once on the nose.

            "If you ever betray my old friend Bootstrap, there will be hell to pay. _Savvy?_"  Diablo's eyes narrowed

            "I could say the same for you."

            "What's that suppose to mean missy?"

            "I saw you follow Bootstrap out and confront him in the ally." Jack's face darkened.

            "Does the word privacy mean nothing to you?"

            "Not when it concerns the safety of my Captain." Diablo stood up, she was tall, and with her boots she was almost taller then Jack Sparrow. 

            "I know about your past, I know your history, I knew before I peeked in on you and the captain. I followed you because I heard that you lifted that lovely little curse on your old crew and then bundled them all up in a bow and sent them over to Norrington to hang in the gallows." Diablo leaned in close and tapped Jack on the nose once. "What guarantees do I have that you won't do that to Bootstrap."

            "What really makes me think you care?" 

            "The same reason why you're suspicious of me" Diablo sat back down on her rock, taking a neutral stance. "Because he's my friend." She looked at him again from the corner of her eyes. "That story about him picking me up from the Flesh Market wasn't a hoax, I truly do owe him my gratitude."

            "So you're indebted to him?" 

            "In a way……….." Diablo said slowly.

            "Good." That made Diablo raise her eyebrows.

            "Oh?" Jack flashed her a smile 

            "It is my belief that a traitorous man will never admit his debts."

            "I'm a woman Jack, we know better."

            "Maybe so, but I am at least fifteen years your senior, try to have a bit of faith in me, when I try to place a little faith on you." Diablo didn't answer for a while, merely stared at the newly risen sun.

            "We're late, we were suppose to meet Bootstrap five minutes ago and see Norrington before noon."

            "We'll still catch him before noon." 

            "Catch?" Diablo asked, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

            "Yea, catch em and fry em." 

            "Hmmmm" Diablo flashed Jack a truly amicable smile. "I bet they taste like codfish." 

            And Jack laughed. 

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            "Where the hell have you two been?" Bootstrap yelled as he saw Diablo and Jack make their way toward the ship. "You were supposed to have been here nearly 30 minutes ago, what happened to sticking to the schedule?" Bootstrap Bill was in a hell of a mood. First the confrontation with Jack in the morning, then somebody told him that they saw Jack heading off toward the direction of the blasted hill that Diablo always liked to visit. Fuck, Jack was off for a confrontation, he half expected to see Jack's guts hanging on the masts of  _The Black Pearl_ come the morning. Jack for all his _savvyness_, and intelligence and tricky maniacal planning didn't stand a chance when it came to fighting Diablo. She would just kill him. Which was why when the two of them showed up side by side and having a hell of a jolly conversation did Bootstrap really want to blow a gut.   For one thing, Diablo was never late, and on a day like this Bootstrap expected her to be early, damn it, they were currently off schedule by a good hour now.

            "Well? Let's have it."

            "Have what?" Diablo asked as she swung onto the ship, she looked around to see Marlow and BC standing together. They both nodded at her and she waved back at them and then headed over to her cabin to grab her truck. She was late yes, but she had a good reason to be, and besides that enlightening conversation with Jack was good. She didn't need any enemies on her own side, especially since she had to deal with a bunch of naval stiffs for the next few weeks. 

            "The blasted explanation." Diablo heard Bootstrap bellow at her back.

            "Who blasted up a cotton plantation?" Jack asked as he strode off the plank onto the ship. Bootstrap thought he might throttle the two. 

            "Cotton plantation?" Marlow asked, "Really now Capt, that wasn't in the plans. Correction, Bootstrap Bill was going to strangle three people now. 

            "Well why are you lollygagging around dear Captain." Diablo was pulling her trunk toward Bootstrap as she spoke. Diablo had quickly located her truck and was just pulling it from her room over to Bootstrap, she had a whimsical expression on her face and looked as if she truly enjoyed driving him up the wall. 

            "Well _darling_ I figure since we're about an hour late already what difference does it make?" Bootstrap huffed.

            "Why are we an hour late?" Elizabeth had come out onto the deck with Diablo, Will was in tow behind her. 

            "Because I bet our dear Commodore expects us to meet him sometime around dawn, so I decided to let him sweat it out a little. Soon other pirates will begin to wake up, and he will have to risk being spotted." Diablo smiled. "And with such a pretty, pretty ship, it's gonna be quite a bit of pain to ward off any, ah _suitors_"

            Bootstrap Bill just looked at her; he swore that she was trying to get herself killed before she even got to the commodore. He finally settled with shaking his head.

            "Shall we get going?" Jack asked. He was already climbing into the small rowboat that they were going to take over to Gongolan Island. 

            "Just one moment." Elizabeth went up to Diablo, "I heard what you were going to do, Bootstrap told us last night after you came back from the bar." She took something from inside the bag she had across her shoulders. "Take this and show it to Commodore Norrington, he'll know it's mine and won't harm you." Elizabeth handed Diablo a length of ribbon and a sealed envelope. Diablo looked at the younger girl for a moment unsure of what to say. 

            "What makes you think that this item won't spur him in the wrong way."

            "Because he's not a rash man, and will probably think things over…."

            "You seem to be extremely sure of this."

            "You seem to be extremely sure of your own ability to win him over." Diablo smiled. 

            "My, my, somebody is certainly catching on quickly." Elizabeth beamed at Diablo. 

            "Naturally darling." It was Diablo's turn to burst into laughter. 

            "Indeed" Diablo took the letter and length of ribbon and folded it into her vest pocket. Bootstrap came over and patted Diablo on the shoulder, giving her a smile charming enough to convince any number of devils and demons to do his whim.

            "You look lovely today darling." Diablo flashed back her own charming smile. 

She was back in her feminine clothes today. A black blouse with open ties in the front opened up to a large floaty collar. Over that was a fitted black suede vest that hid her belted weapon. As usual she had two arm bands that were hidden by long sleeves and two slim blades attached to her back. She also had blades down her boots and guns on her hips. She had on baggy pants that resembled the same ones that she wore the other day, and had her boots tucked over them. To the naked eye, no one could see the weapons that she had concealed, there were others that no one would be able to feel either. Diablo passed over her trunk to Jack and then climbed into the boat herself. 

            "I'll be keeping in touch" 

            "You take care of yourself my girl." Bootstrap said. "Bring me back a surrogate son in law!" 

            The entire crew shot him a look. 

"What?" He asked as if he hadn't done or said a thing out of the ordinary. Marlow and BC shook their heads, Jack shuddered, Will looked patronizing and Elizabeth felt bad for the commodore, he had no idea what was coming to hit him, and he didn't stand a chance.

            "Sure." Diablo winked again at Bootstrap and she and Jack rowed off toward Gongolan Island.

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Author's Note; Hello there! I had the biggest case of writer's block while attempting to finish this chapter, I knew what it was going to lead up to, I just couldn't find a way there. Hopefully you will have enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading, and thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, they are very encouraging and very helpful! Thank You! Waves! Now to go and find another story to work on and update, LoL, Byes!

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	12. Commodore Norrington, may I introduce Di...

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

Chapter 12 Commodore Norrington, may I introduce Diablo

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Disclaimer.....As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story

* * *

_Aboard the Interceptor_

Commodore Norrington stood upon the deck staring off into the general direction of where Tortuga lay. He was vaguely disappointed that the pirates did not show up at dawn as predicted. It would have been the best time to slip away unnoticed; perhaps he was over estimating them. He shook his head, highly doubtful. If anything he was underestimating them, and that could become dangerous. Thoughts that this might have just been a trap sprung once again to his mind. He had vaguely considered just capturing the pirate and going back to Port Royal, but then the subject of the governor's daughter and her fiancé would come to play. He was still expected to bring them back after all. Norrington snorted, since the whole Jack Sparrow incident he had become friends with the two and had come to the conclusion that if anything they would think of the pirate trip as some sort of prelude to their honeymoon. Especially since they were rampaging around with William Turner Sr. Sparrow's claim had sent his mind reeling, he still remembered bringing the young Turner aboard the ship when he had first made his way over to the Caribbean. Norrington shook thoughts of the Turners out of his mind, right now he had other things to think about. If that blasted Sparrow wasn't going to hold up his end of the bargain he would have to make plans to go into Tortuga himself.

"Excuse me sir, I would hate to intrude but I thought they were supposed to show up around dawn?" Norrington turned around to see Gillette approaching him with a quick salute. Indeed they were supposed to. That in addition to the fact that Gillette had asked this just a mere thirty minutes ago was beginning to grate on Norrington's nerves. The plans to go into Tortuga himself became more appealing by the minute.

"A miscalculation on my part" Norrington said absently as he stared out toward Tortuga. He completely missed the look of shock Groves gave when he walked over just in time to hear this claim. Groves and Gillette exchanged looks.

"Dear God, somebody grab some smelling salts I think I'm getting faint! Begging your permission to do so first of course sir" Norrington glanced at a comically saluting Groves as Gillette choked and tried not to grin at Groves, who had a hand to his head in mock distress. Norrington was most grateful that most of the crew was somewhere other then on the bridge now. He eyed his second lieutenant thinking about how easy it would be to shove him over board right about now.

"Lieutenant may I remind you of your manners and what in God's name are you talking about."

"The Iron Clad Hand of Norrington, or mouth of Norrington, sir, if you'd permit me some humor, has actually admitted to a miscalculation, a mistake, an error. Dear Lord!" Groves was in a particularly whimsical mood this morning, especially after practically getting told to shut up by Norrington last night. Gillette choked and looked faintly indignant about the comment but the edges of his mouth were upturned. He knew that Groves was only doing it to lighten the mood, although he was a bit surprised that he was misbehaving out in public. Perhaps he was more apprehensive about meeting that pirate then he showed. After all, Groves did face Diablo in a fight once, and so did Norrington. Gillette had been the only one out of the three that didn't battle Diablo personally. Perhaps he should try and help his comrade lighten the mood?

"Yes I think we might have to re-look over our entire outlook on life, it's just been shattered." Gillette added. Norrington rolled his eyes. He blamed his lack of sleep, he blamed the lack of other people around, and in general, he blamed himself for actually following that blasted pirate around. Diablo to him was another goal, another chase. Norrington had vowed to rid the Caribbean of pirates, and he was merely another one.

"Get your digs while you can gentlemen, but I suggest that you get it out of your systems and out of your minds when that pirate shows up." Norrington glanced at his two smirking first and second officers. "I'm surprised I even had to remind you about correct _protocol_" This launched both Gillette and Groves into chuckles again. Yes they both knew well that it would be a very trying for the next few weeks. The fact that he was going to come aboard their ship was simply preposterous. The pirates were practically giving them the upper hand.

Suddenly Gillette and Groves stopped chuckling. Norrington turned away from them and turned his view back toward Tortuga.

"Sir?" Gillette was looking over him with concern.

"Yes?" He was already raising his telescope and sighting the waters ahead of him.

"I think that's Sparrow rowing toward us with a girl sitting across from him."

"Are you sure it isn't merely a boy in disguise?" Norrington turned toward where Gillette was looking.

"Well if it is a he that's the smoothest face I've ever seen on a man." Groves remarked. Norrington lowered his telescope to look at Groves who gave him a sheepish look.

"Well it is.......sir!"

* * *

"What the hell has Bootstrap been drinking?" Jack was rowing the boat and reeling from Bootstrap's last words to Diablo. Norrington and Diablo dear god, it sounded like a bad romance story that an air headed French woman would come up with. Jack's mind drifted pleasantly over to Nadine; that sexy French whore back on the shores of Tortuga, perhaps he would have time to visit her before they had to ship off.

"Whatever do you mean?" The girl seemed to be staring off into space in the general direction of Gongolan Island. Jack peered at her through the corner of his eye.

"_Surrogate son in law_?" Please, she couldn't have missed that. She didn't miss much of anything else.

"Ah that" She turned back to Jack. "Bootstrap's got this sick idea in his head that I should get married to some hoity toity British boy, he thinks the Commodore will suit me just fine." She cocked her head to the side. "Well actually I don't think it had to be some British guy, or anyone hoity toity for that matter, he just likes the idea of marriage a lot." Jack shook his head, maybe all that time wandering around the ocean floor really did get to the man. Jack was still weary of Diablo, he figured she wasn't a mutineer, but he didn't figure she would be a fool either.

"Besides why else do you think he crashed Jr's wedding."

Jack chuckled at that comment, Junior, ha.

"You still don't trust me do you?"

"The story lass, is just a bit inconceivable don'tcha think?"

"You mean like dead skeletal pirates and the fastest ship in the world with nothing but raggedy hole ridden sails?" Diablo turned her head away from Gongolan for a moment to stare at Jack. "I swear Jack, from what I've heard, those sails didn't have enough material stretched across them to fashion a loincloth, much less catch the winds."

"It's not the sails missy, it's the construction of her, and she's a real beauty."

"Yes, the poor girl has to resign to second place now won't she?" Jack growled and mumbled something about stupid Will and a lack of a stupid bottle of rum. Diablo made a mental note to thank Will for keeping Jack sober on their trip to _The Interceptor._ It wouldn't have done either of them any good to have Jack bumbling around deck of the British ship.

"You know, I don't think they've spotted us yet, and I think we should keep it that way." Jack said.

"Is that right?"

"Well I wouldn't have said it if it weren't"

"Oh so you're the master of truth."

"I thought we were over the hatred thing."

"That's why you're not swimming to Gongolan." Jack kinda just looked at the girl sitting across from him and furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Shouldn't I be the one getting prissy? It's my baby that's been insulted."

"You spawned something?"

"_The Pearl_"

"Your baby?"

"Well isn't _The Dragoness_ yours?"

"No."

Jack looked at her sharply. "Huh?"

"She's Bootstrap Bill's; you and I both know that." Diablo turned her head back towards Gongolan. That startled Jack a bit, the nonchalance of her answer, he was well aware of Bootstrap's plans to hand over the boat to Diablo as soon as they got their big payoff.

"That's not usually how a pirate responds to getting a ship of their very own." Diablo twisted her lips in what might have been a grin minus the sarcastic expression on her face.

"I'm actually more of an assassin, ships take too much effort to maintain, and they aren't exactly easy to conceal."

"Now shut that trap missy, or I'm gonna get real offended here." Jack grabbed his heart in utter horror. Diablo thanked the Gods above that the oars were tied onto the rowboat.

"Do you know _what exactly_ a ship _is?_"

"Let me guess, it's a couple of dead trees, some rubber and a bunch of stolen canvas from some absentee artist's studio?" Jack blinked at her, how did Bootstrap manage not to throttle the girl? Bootstrap was probably the only person that loved sailing as much as Jack himself did, well, not as much, Jack remedied to himself, nobody loves sailing as much as the Great Captain Jack Sparrow. He shook himself.

"How does a girl with such distaste in sailing end up on a ship?" It was Diablo's turn to look at Jack incredulously.

"What ever gave you the idea that I didn't like the sea?" Jack snorted.

"Here let me remind you" Jack pitched his voice up high and as satirical

"_It's a couple of dead trees, some rubber and a bunch of stolen canvas from some absentee artist's studio_"

"Well are you saying you actually paid the artist for the canvas?" Diablo raised an eyebrow at Jack. "are you trying to tell me that you actually pay for anything?"

Jack just frowned at her.

"I think they've spotted us." Jack said suddenly.

"You still haven't answered my question."

"That's not the point, Norrington spotted us." Diablo rolled her eyes at Jack

"You might as well keep rowing, Norrington actually spotted us a good 10 minutes ago, his men just started spotting us now."

"Blah missy, that makes no sense, why wouldn't he alert his crew members of our presence?"

"Because that way he can watch us."

* * *

"Commodore! Commodore Sir!" All three officers turned to see Private Murtogg come running toward them. "We've sighted the row boat sirs!" Murtogg came to a hasty stop in front of them, "There's two people in it. One of them's that blasted Sparrow, the other one's a woman."

"Calm yourself Mr. Murtogg, we've already spotted them, they'll going rather slowly, even for a rowboat."

"Perhaps it's not whom we've been waiting for." Mullroy suggested as he came up behind Murtogg and saluted the three officers. "I think that Sparrow actually has a woman with him, sir."

"Yes we're well aware of that." Norrington replied rather testily.

"Well then how come...."

"For heaven's sake man don't you have something better to do then question your commanding officer?" Gillette cut in.

"Sorry sirs, just wondering." Mullroy and Murtogg dashed off to prepare for the pirates' arrival.

"Why didn't we alert the crew again sir?" Groves asked.

"So we could watch them."

"Excuse me?"

"That girl that's with him has been watching us longer then we've looked for them." Norrington stared out at the faces that were now less then 50 yards away. They had stopped moving for awhile.

"Gillette, if they don't start moving within the next five minutes send two boats after them." Gillette saluted and went off.

* * *

"Well there goes the bloody element of surprise." Jack threw his hands up in the air exasperated.

"We never got it in the first place, now kindly stop fretting like an old maid and start rowing will you, I want to get there before sundown."

"Missy if you..."

"I think they might start launching their own rowboats." Diablo cut in suddenly.

"What?"

"I said they're starting to launch their own rowboats." Jack peered over to the British ship and watched as several of the men started to make their way toward the rowboats. "I don't like the look of this." Jack said, eyes narrowing.

"Apparently you aren't the only one."

"Hmmm, you know it is of my opinion that we start rowing our way back to Tortuga and just rid ourselves of this plan."

"Not your call."

"Bloody hell missy, this is not one of your sick games."

"Just row." Jack harrumphed

"It's your ass on the line girly."

"And what a fun place for it to be."

* * *

"They've started moving again sir." Groves looked over from his telescope, "It seems that Sparrow is doing all of the rowing. At that pace they'll be here within the next 15 minutes."

"It's amazing that Sparrow's doing all the work, that girl must have some kinda hold over him." Groves commented.

"She's rather persuasive when she wants to be it seems." Norrington started to make his way down away from the bridge. "Gentlemen ready your positions, we have company, make them feel welcome."

"Sir!"

* * *

Diablo sat in the steadily bobbing boat as Jack rowed her over to the ship. They were now only ten yards away. The second they started moving again the navy men moved away from the row boats. Diablo looked toward Jack who was sulkily staring at the approaching navy ship with distaste. She sighted with her telescope upon the shores of Gongolan Island. It seemed that everything was in order. They were now a mere 5 yards away.

"What we have to do right now is plan out how we're gonna stop that blasted Commodore from ignoring us and throwing us straight into the brig"

"They won't throw you in the brig, they'll throw me in." Diablo turned back over to Jack and pulled a pistol on him.

"What the...."

"Shut up and listen, Rubens is waiting for you on Gongolan Island. I'll hit you on the head with my pistol and you'll sink underwater and swim to your left."

Jack stared at her, both hands up, eyes wandering around drunkenly, he was processing what she was saying, if he didn't get out now he would not be able to get back to _Pearl_ today, he wondered if Bootstrap came up with this or if Diablo thought of it.

"Don't speak, because I not sure if one of the navies could read lips, if you're ready to go blink." Jack blinked.

"Good," Diablo smiled, flipped her pistol around and whipped the side of Jack's face knocking his face to one side. Before Jack could snap his head back to her, Diablo grabbed him by his sash and hauled him overboard watching him as he sunk into the water. When she was sure he was completely out of sight she turned her face back toward _The Interceptor_. Her little stunt had caught their attention and once again soldiers were getting into the rowboats and rowing her way.

Showtime.

_

* * *

_

_Aboard The Interceptor_

"Sir!" Norrington turned back to Gillette after he watched the girl shove Sparrow out of the boat.

"Yes I saw what she did." Norrington interrupted before Gillette could say.

"We're sending boats out to capture her now." Gillette said. "Groves went out with them." Norrington turned to watch four boats go out. All his men were on the defensive, two rifles at the head of each and they were all pointed at that girl. Norrington looked down following the line of fire and met the girl's eyes. She was less then five yards away from the ship and even closer to the row boats yet she didn't even seem to notice them. She stared straight up and back at him.

"Madam keep your hands in sight and no one will shoot." Groves had already reached Diablo's boat and was trying to find the most cautious way to approach her without initiating any violence. He had two men at his back with rifles pointed, and he himself had a sword pointed at her. "Madam my name is Lt. Groves of her majesty's royal navy."

"I know who you are...." Diablo's eyes moved away from Norrington's to meet Groves, "You're quite handy with that sword."

"Hands where I can see them madam."

"As you wish." Diablo's hands left her sides she presented them outwards turning her palms upwards.

"Kindly step out of your boat and into ours please, hands where we can see them."

"Then how am I supposed to move my trunk?" Diablo asked him. She accessed the young officer, he seems vaguely intelligent, polite and dull just like every other aspiring naval officer. The way he held himself made her think he was from a simple background. His family probably wasn't overly wealthy and he was probably a second son so he was perfectly comfortable taking orders, but could he give them and actually think on his own? She remembered him from the Turner's wedding day. Perhaps it would be fun to test him. Her eyes roved from left to right, the remaining three rowboats that came out with him had already surrounded her.

"One of the men will bring it on the ship for you." Diablo grinned inwardly at this, the chances of her actually seeing her trunk aboard _The Dauntless_ was very slim right now. If anything they'll ransack it for her weapons and then toss the rest of it overboard.

"Not that I have no confidence in your word or anything but what guarantee do I have that my truck will make it onto your ship safely?"

"And what guarantee do I have that you won't start another killing spree if I don't watch you." Oh good he can think for himself.

"Do you think you can stop me if I wanted to start a _killing spree_ as you so delicately put it?"

"I would like to remind you that unlike the last time we met, you're the one who's surrounded now."

"And your point is?"

"Just kindly step into this boat, and keep your hands in sight." Groves was getting irritated. He did not enjoy making deals with pirates. She didn't even look like one. He wasn't sure what the hell she looked like.

"My trunk Lieutenant," Diablo pressed, "I thought you British men prided yourself on good manners."

"Madam step into this boat now and I will personally guarantee that your trunk will get onto the ship safely."

"A personal guarantee, my, my, my." The right side of Diablo's lips turned up. "Well then, I'll hold you to your pledge." She held out her right hand to him daring him to take it.

"Will you not assist me out of this vessel?"

"I hardly believe that you aren't able to step out yourself madam." Smart move, Diablo's eyes narrowed. She had had a slim blade hidden between the fingers of her right hand. She kept her eyes on him and slowly maneuvered her way into Groves's rowboat.

"Sit down please madam and thread your fingers in front of you, lay them in your lap and keep them in sight." Diablo did as she was told. Things were just about to get interesting.

"Jackson, Demare, grab her truck and haul it into your boat." Groves kept an eye on her as he said this.

"Sir!" Diablo watched as her truck was carefully loaded into one of the other rowboats. His word means something to him, that was rare, it seemed that the commodore knew how to pick his men.

"Are you satisfied?"

"Yes" Diablo said absently, she looked at Groves straight in the eye, "Since you kept your word and got me my truck, I promise to not cause any ruckus until we get to the ship."

Groves merely nodded at her.

"Back to the ship men" Groves motioned to the other boats to move out. He didn't once take his eyes off of the girl. He kept his eyes on her the entire time back to the ship.

* * *

Commodore Norrington watched as Groves led Diablo onto the ship with ten men behind them, each with their rifles pointed at the mysterious girl. She was met with ten more men in the same pose. The girl paid them no attention what so ever, instead choosing to look straight at him. He stared straight back at her and her eyes followed his every step over to him.

"So you are the girl that claims to be Diablo."

"And you're Commodore Norrington, I must say this meeting was long time coming."

"Indeed." Norrington stepped back signaling Gillette and Groves to step in. Gillette snapped shackles on her wrists and Groves put shackles on her ankles.

"Welcome aboard _The Interceptor_ assassin. I hope you enjoy your stay because this will be the last ship you will sail on. The second that we make berth at a British harbor I will be more then happy to sign your death warrant." Norrington said coldly.

"Ah well I suppose my story did not convince you after all."

"It wouldn't convince a fool."

"And what of the dear Turners?"

"From what's been revealed the Turners are having a jolly time sailing the high seas with Will's father."

"And you believe that but you don't believe that I might be in distress?"

"Madam, I believe you to be in as much distress as a black widow spider is in when devouring her prey." Norrington scoffed.

"Well I've always been partial to red and black." Diablo replied lazily. Norrington merely motioned with his hand again.

"Lock her in the brig gentlemen."

"Pity," Diablo merely shrugged as she allowed herself to be lead away. "Unlike Elizabeth I can't get myself where I want to be by asking for a wedding gift."

"And where do you want to be, you insufferable harlot." Gillette asked walking behind her and ten other armed soldiers.

"Why in your beloved Commodore's bed of course. Where else would any woman want to be?"

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Author's Note: Wow it's been quite a while since I actually had time to update. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and now that Diablo's aboard.........Let the games begin.

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Author's Edit: As much as I like Fanfiction's improvemnets I just found out that I have to re-edit quite a few of my stories because the formating changed. Oh well.

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	13. Stormy Brigs

The Lost Ingots of Tagus

by Aldesina

Chapter 13 Stormy Brigs

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Disclaimer...As you are probably all very well aware, I do not own anything, if I did I would be rolling in it, since I am not, and I do NOT own the story I am poor, and can only write fanfiction about it. Ah sigh, oh well, on with the story 

_Aboard the Interceptor_

_Down in the Brig_

Diablo was bored, really….. was it really necessary to keep her locked down here for more then a day or two? Instead she had been down here for a week now, and when one's only view is the interior of a ship which consists of a plank of curved wood coated with tar one tends to get bored at an accelerated rate. Of course, she didn't waste her time here by doing nothing. She had pretty much memorized the layout of the bilge; since her prison was simply a cage she had full access to study the mechanics of the lower hull of the ship. She just hoped that no one had noticed her counting the planks and notches. Course, it did help that she was feigning sleep whenever she did this. However studying aside, which only took her 2 days she was now simply bored. After that uptight French man had dragged her into the brig, Gillette was it? She was patted down twice, by both the lieutenant and another shipmate and had the bulk of her weapons removed including the bone knife she hid in the front of her corset which she was surprised they had been able to find. Diablo had smiled when they found that, she had under estimated this man's thoroughness. That mistake won't be made again. They had also found the letter that Elizabeth had gave her and brought it promptly up to the Commodore. That he didn't come rushing in at a moment's notice over the silly piece of parchment made her smile. Oh yes, there would be time to play and plenty of ammunition to play with. Still after all of that searching, it now left her armed with two slim throwing blades on either side of her corset, a chocker wire and poisoned darts hidden in the boning of her corset, a pity none of these items were all that useful for lock picking. Although considering the fact that there were 5 men surrounding her at all times including one with a pistol constantly pointed at her she really couldn't pick that lock after all. She had expected some sort of visit from the Commodore to ask her about Elizabeth right after the initial pat down and then removal of shackles as they threw her into the cage. Instead she was given parchment and a quill and commanded to write down whatever she knew and to sign it. She assumed that was a confessional of sorts, but instead thought it would be more fun to continue with the games she had planned since they first started ah _interrogating_ her, so to speak.

* * *

_Seven Days Ago_

"What exactly makes you think I'll be able to tell you anything." Diablo had asked cocking her head at the ever reddening Gillette.

"You will confess to your crimes of pillaging, plundering, murdering, larceny, arson, raping…"

"Now hold on there, raping is not part of my repertoire" Diablo smiled at that accusation "I lack the equipment as you should know…… you however…….."

"Assassin, how dare you imply….."

"I did not imply anything, I _stated_ that it is not possible for me to do as you accused, and then continued to _state_ that _you_ would be able to perform that act merely because of anatomy. Unless of course there's something _you'd_ like to confess." Diablo waved her quill at him and smiled "Is there Lieutenant?"

"I should have you stretched on a rack and whipped." Gillette began

"Well as long as you personally see to it." Diablo cut in and winked at him, not her original intention, but this could get interesting with time.

"GUARDS!" Gillette roared "shackle her to the ………."

"Lieutenant Gillette!"

Gillette's order was interrupted by another officer of the ship. Groves she believed he was called, she remembered his face well when she sliced the man next to him and knocked him down at Turner junior's wedding. It looks like he won't be happy to see me either, she thought. He hurried down the stairs toward the red faced French man. She was surprised it wasn't Norrington himself, perhaps he wasn't as easily baited, and she'll just have to try harder perhaps through this new lieutenant.

"Yes?" Gillette turned to his fellow officer in irritation.

"The Commodore would like your presence on deck." Groves said glancing over at Diablo, "I am to question the prisoner in your stead." Gillette looked like he would have very much liked to tell Groves to take a flying leap off the port bow and send Diablo over with him as well. Instead he said nothing and stormed passed his fellow officer and up the stairs in a huff.

"Well……." Groves had turned his attention toward the caged assassin casually lounging against the back bars of her prison. She clicked her nails against the railing and smiled.

"I suppose you're the calmer one of the two? Since fire and brimstone won't bring me to heel you'll try ice and logic instead." Diablo winked at Groves "The Commodore selected the two of you well."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere with me just like goading won't get you anywhere with Lieutenant Gillette." Groves responded "Now….." he began as he produced another quill and some more parchment, and a well of ink.

"If you won't write it down, I'll simply record everything you do and say." Groves mentioned to someone at the top of the stairs and they brought down a table with a chair to go with it.

"Hoping that I'll slip up?"

"Oh I know you will." Groves said as he sat down at a table and removed his hat. "And I've got plenty of time, unlike you, who we'll hang as soon as we dock."

"Any dock? Or your precious Port Royal?" Diablo asked. She stood up fluidly as if pulled by strings and sauntered over to the front of her cage as close to Groves as her cage would allow her, "Don't you think it would be breaking protocol to just hang me at any ole dock?"

"I'm sure Her Majesty would make an exception for one with a reputation and a _list of accomplishments_ such as you."

"_List of accomplishments!_" Diablo laughed "How prettily put, well then it's a good thing that we don't intend for you to dock anytime soon."

"Slipping information already are we?"

"No merely giving you information you would have already known had you read Elizabeth's letter."

"It's Miss Swann to you,"

"Actually it's the soon to be Mrs. Turner if you must spilt hairs." Diablo paused and looked at the man and then down at the fluidly swishing quill before him, he really was recording her every action and movement. He also had very good penmanship, the kind that one got from a good upbringing and years of practice.

"Let me guess Lieutenant Groves is it? Oh don't look so shocked, you really didn't expect me to not know your name before I came aboard this ship now did you? Now let me guess, you were from a relatively well to do family, your father was educated, so he decided to have all his sons follow his path, yes sons, you couldn't possibly be a first born. Parents usually don't risk the necks of their first born sons, and it's usually the second that goes into the military and the third into the seminary, so I'll assume that you are either the second." She paused and looked at his face and his ever widening eyes. "Oh yes, the second son of a well educated man who taught his sons to read and write at a fairly early age, your penmanship is far to fluid to have learned it in the military." Groves blinked

"You can read what I'm writing from all the way over there?"

"I could read what you were writing from the back of this cage." Diablo smiled at his now darkening face. "Your swishes are very elaborate and quite patterned, not to mention painfully methodical."

Groves's pen stopped and he looked up.

"Did you decide to switch tactics and bait me and flatter my comrade instead?" Diablo laughed at that comment, and shook her head.

"The Commodore sent you down here because of what Eliza….. oh pardon me _Miss Elizabeth_ wrote in the letter didn't you."

"You knew that he would, having read the contents of that letter."

"Actually I didn't and you would know because it's been sealed with a ribbon."

"Which can be easily retied."

"Yes but the hand writing. It's so obviously hers," Diablo looped her arms around the front of the cage again and wagged a finger at Groves. "He would know more then anyone after being so enamored with her for so long."

"Your vocabulary is quite proficient for an assassin."

"Hmmm……" Diablo examined her hands twisting them in a pattern the way one would caress a throwing knife. "He must have been so heartbroken when he lost her, and to a blacksmith who commandeered his own ship no less."

BANG,

Groves's chair smashed to the ground as he stood up.

"That is none of your business, and you have used up your worth." Groves picked up his writings and then turned toward her once more. "Think hard about playing with her majesty's royal navy madam, or you'll regret setting foot on this ship."

Diablo's only reply was to smile and wave at him as he went up the stairs where his fellow officer had disappeared to before him.

"Madam eh, well it seems like he's warming up to me after all."

* * *

_The Ward Room, abroad The Interceptor_

"Commodore she had been here for the past week and the only thing that she has been useful for is consuming our resources and trying our patience. That blasted demon, or vampire or pirate assassin, morally lacking hell spawn who's probably here just to drive us crazy so she can pull the wool over our eyes and kill us all."

"Gillette as much as I agree with you on the most of those points dare I ask how is she going to pull the wool over anyone's eyes when she's locked up in a cage down in the brig?" Groves idly asked.

"But……."

"Gillette, Groves at this rate I will have to expand my ward room just to fit both of your heads in." Commodore Norrington looked up from the map he was studying. "Now will you both desist and allow me to study Sparrow's route in peace."

"Why can't we just make her walk the plank like those bloody pirates do."

"Gillette………" Norrington warned. He had just about enough of the ruckus that his first mate was causing. Sparrow was leading them on a merry chase and according to Elizabeth's letter they were now also pursuing her father in law. Turner's father alive! He could just imagine a second Sparrow he now had to chase after, probably as blunder headed as Turner, blundering and annoying lucky. He reread the letter that Elizabeth had sent along with the pirate, he had suspected the letter to be forged at first, but the script was very obviously hers, both in penmanship tone and the mastery of words. Norrington sighed and put the letter aside and studied the map once more, they were making their way steadily across The Atlantic at the rate they were going they might hit Portugal. They didn't nearly have enough resources to be out at sea for a month, and they had already been chasing those blasted pirates for over a fortnight. They had to replenish supplies and soon.

"Gillette, stop howling on and on about the integrity of the prisoner and take inventory, it seems we're running precariously low on food and fresh water."

"Sir!" Gillette saluted, albeit sulkily and went out.

"Where do you think they are leading us Sir?" Groves asked.

"Portugal seems to be a likely destination; we've been pretty much headed in a straight line toward it."

"But that's out of our jurisdiction sir."

"Yes Groves I realize this." Norrington looked up from his map. "But it's too late to turn back and send word to the Portuguese authorities, we'll have to ration the food until we can refurnish our supplies."

"How do you suppose Sparrow is making it all the way across?"

"He was able to obtain supplies at that pirate island whereas we were not." Norrington thought about the situation for a moment, perhaps that pirate girl has a…….

"Commodore!" Gillette came bursting into the ward room at full run. "Storm's coming!"

"What? Groves asked, "It was clear skies but a minute ago."

"Yes but Mother Nature is ever a fickle woman like all of her sex." Norrington countered as he grabbed his coat, forgoing the hat out of common sense and ran out.

* * *

_Dragoness_

"So Son have you ever been at sea during a right nasty of a storm?" Bootstrap Bill yelled over the howling rain. They were about two days ahead of _The Interceptor_ and they have yet to break the storm that was blowing over them. By Bootstrap's calculations the excitement should all be over round midnight and then they could dock and restock their supplies, at their hidden island. He just hoped the Commodore had enough sense to listen to Diablo; their rations were probably running low. BC, Marlow, Smith and Rubens had all sailed off in ships of their own, BC and Marlow following one path, Smith and Rubens on another. They were all headed for the same destination. The Mouth of the Tagus River, he would get in contact with them by seagull once they cleared the storm but right now he was just happy to feel the world crash and the waves thunder underneath his feet.

Will turned to glare at his father's maniacally smiling face steering happily at the helm and yelled back

"You're crazier then Jack for continuously going through this storm at full sail."

"Not _full sail_ junior!" Bootstrap pointed at the main sail "She's not even up yet."

"Yet?" William asked "What do you mean yet? Have you gone mad? We're lucky the mast doesn't spilt in two, we have to pull in the sails and wait it out."

"Nah boy! Sailing through storms is half the fun, besides this couldn't have gone better if I had conjured up a storm myself!" Bootstrap turned from his son for a moment to yell at his crew

"Hoist that up ye dogs! Did that tar stick up your brains as well as your feet? Move it below or I'll sink you down myself just to make a point ye hear?"

"You want to get us killed over a point?"

"No boy! The storm, the storm, listen boy! This'll certainly endear Diablo to the Commodore, she just _loves_ storms! Ties a rope to her waist and jumps from beam to beam, mast to helm, port to starboard! She damn near ties down the whole ship herself, nearly ruins all my fun the blasted wench!"

"Madness, utter madness." Will grumbled.

"Says the one who commandeered a ship with a criminal broke him out of lock up and sailed after a woman engaged to someone else!" Bootstrap shot back. "Aw don't worry son! You should consider this an honor, no man can really appreciate the beauty of _The Dragoness_ without seeing her through a storm."

"An Honor I would have gladly relinquished for sanity."

Bootstrap Bill laughed, "Look out Tagus here we come!"

* * *

_The Black Pearl_

"Captain! You're as daft as your namesake!" Anamaria yelled out over the storm. Just one day behind _The Dragoness_ and Jack Sparrow was hell bent on catching up. It stung that his _Pearl_ was no longer the fastest ship on the seas, but to get knocked on the head and ordered about by a wench just about sent him over. He'll catch the _Dragoness_ or at least keep up with it……….. a day behind, but still keeping up with it, Blast!

"Jack was a daft man?" Jack asked back yelling over the storm his gold teeth gleaming. At least he could keep up with his favorite game. "How would you know? Not every man named Jack is daft and not every daft man is named Jack so how does one judge how daft a man can be based on the daft ideals of one daft man who may or may not have been daft and named Jack?"

Anamaria looked like she wanted to tie the rope around Jack's neck as opposed securing it to the deck.

"Besides luv, we have a schedule to keep and like I said before!" Jack said in a mock salute of his hat, nearly losing control of the wheel when a particularly violent wave hit him square on the head. "When Captain Jack Sparrow is invited to a party, he's never late!"

* * *

Author's Note; Wow, it's been awhile since I updated………heheh miss me? So things are just about to get interesting and with the upcoming release of the new movie, I thought I would try and get this story going again before it becomes completely disproved by the movie LoL 


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